EL PASO, Texas — El Paso health officials reported no new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, which came on the heels of just one death reported Saturday. That put the pandemic death total coming out of the weekend at 2,602 in El Paso County, which had surpassed 2,600 fatalities on Friday. There were 25 new Covid-19
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — A woman in her 60s was El Paso’s sole coronavirus death reported by local health officials on Saturday. Her death brought the pandemic fatality toll in El Paso County to 2,602. Officials also reported 33 new cases, bringing the number of active infections among El Pasoans to 1,358. Complete El Paso
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HOUSTON, Texas — About 60% of the Covid-19 vaccine doses that have spoiled since Texas’ vaccination program began in December were wasted in the past two weeks, according to an analysis of state data. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of the roughly 60,000 vaccine doses spoiled since December, about 36,000 were lost in the past
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced two new coronavirus-related deaths and 42 new cases Friday. The latest deaths involve a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,601. There are 22 additional suspected Covid-19 deaths currently
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EL PASO, Texas — A pandemic face mask requirement for students, faculty and visitors to the UTEP campus was lifted Thursday by university President Heather Wilson. Face coverings for both indoor and outdoor settings at UTEP will no longer be mandated effective immediate, Wilson indicated, and campus signs about masking requirements were in the process
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced two new coronavirus-related deaths and 50 new cases Thursday. The latest fatalities were a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,599. There are 24 additional suspected Covid-19 deaths currently
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — For the first time, students 12 years or older received their vaccination in the Las Cruces Public School District on Wednesday. Interim LCPS Superintendent Ralph Ramos told ABC-7 that there were 475 students who got their shots. “I feel like everyone could take the vaccine so we can just get
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SANTA FE, New Mexico – New Mexico Department of Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins, Human Services Department Secretary Dr. David Scrase, and Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart provided a Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday afternoon. In an update to the statewide Covid-19 reopening map, the state officials announced that 32 of New Mexico’s 33 counties were in
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Health Department announced Wednesday that a man in his 20s with underlying health issues has died of Covid-19. He was El Paso County’s lone additional virus death. Health officials also reported 107 new coronavirus cases. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,597. Health officials
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that public schools must end mask requirements starting in June and ordered Texas’ cities and counties to drop nearly all face covering mandates by the end of the week. The announcement does not affect businesses, which can still require customers or workers to wear masks. But the
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EL PASO, Texas — El Paso’s top city and county leaders held a joint news conference during the noon hour Tuesday to provide an update on the Covid-19 situation and response locally, with face mask rules and border reopening possibilities taking center stage. Mayor Oscar Leeser and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said masks would no
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WASHINGTON, DC — Travel restrictions across the U.S.-Mexico border have now been extended through at least June 21, according to Mexico’s foreign minister who said the decision was made by the U.S. government. The extension came as Mexican officials continued to express “hope” that those curbs could be removed over the summer. There was no
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Health Department announced two new coronavirus-related deaths and 76 new cases Tuesday morning. Both fatality victims were men in their 80s who had underlying health conditions and were hospitalized. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,596. There are 1,557 known active cases to report,
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas on Monday joined the growing number of states that will stop paying the federally funded $300 in extra pandemic-related weekly unemployment aid as businesses that scaled back or shuttered during the pandemic are reopening. The extra benefits in Texas will end June 26, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said in a letter to the
Continue Reading MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Target, CVS Pharmacy and Starbucks are joining the list of businesses that say fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks in their stores, following the Centers for Disease Control’s recent recommendation. The businesses say their policies only change if local regulations allow it. In a statement Monday, a Target spokesperson
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — The governor of New Mexico might have dropped the state’s mask requirement for vaccinated residents, but there are still many local mask mandates in southern New Mexico. As of late Monday morning, there were still mask requirements in Mesilla, Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. The manager of Doña Ana
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks as domestic demand for shots drops and global disparities in distribution have grown more evident. The doses will come from existing production of Pfizer, Moderna or
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — The families of more than 65 million children will start receiving enhanced child tax credit monthly payments of up to $300 on July 15, the Biden administration announced Monday. The temporary benefit, which will be sent to 39 million households and covers 88% of children in the US, stems from the Democrats’
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Your Covid-19 vaccine record card is likely one of the most important documents you will receive all year. Health providers urge you to protect the document and keep it in your records after you’re fully vaccinated. If you accidentally lose or damage the card, there are some things you can
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health reported four coronavirus-related deaths and 53 new cases Monday. The latest fatalities included a woman in her 60s and three women in their 80s. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,594. It’s important to note that the virus deaths the
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El PASO, Texas — There is a great deal of progress we are all making on the Covid-19 front worthy of celebrating. This past week, the FDA and CDC approved the use of Pfizer vaccines for children 12 to 16 year olds. It was an announcement that will have a huge impact on school attendance,
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — El Paso public health officials on Sunday reported 68 new Covid-19 cases, but there were no new deaths. Active infections numbered 1,533, while the death toll remained at 2,590. Hospitalizations due to Covid-related illness in El Paso were at 90 on Sunday, marking the first time since last June that the
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — A woman in her 20s was among three new Covid-19 deaths reported by El Paso public health officials on Saturday morning. In addition, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s were among the deceased victims, all of whom had underlying health conditions that were unspecified. With the
Continue Reading NEW YORK, NY — Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said Friday afternoon that it won’t require vaccinated shoppers or workers to wear a mask in its U.S. stores, unless state or local laws say otherwise. Vaccinated shoppers can go mask-less immediately, the company said. Vaccinated workers can stop wearing them on May 18. A company
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas — Many of the nation’s largest retailers who do business in the Borderland say they will keep requiring masks in their stores despite eased national guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In addition, numerous public places locally will still require masks including: City and County of El Paso buildings (except
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — A day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidance on wearing facemasks during the pandemic, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a new state public health order aligning with the CDC. Under the order, which was taking effect immediately on Friday, those in the
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EL PASO, Texas — Three stores, three different policies. El Paso businesses have been thrown in the deep end after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announcement Thursday that fully vaccinated people can take their masks off in indoor settings. Texas lifted the state mask mandate months ago, but many businesses in the Borderland still
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced two coronavirus-related deaths and 45 new cases Friday morning. The latest fatalities involved one man and one women, each in their 80s. El Paso County’s pandemic death toll now stands at 2,587. There are 20 suspected Covid-19 deaths still being investigated by
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is easing indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places. The announcement came Thursday from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses,
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(Editor’s note: This story was produced as part of the Puente News Collaborative, a bi-national partnership of news organizations in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso.) By Lauren Villagran/El Paso Times and Veronica Martinez/La Verdad CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Army Maj. Carlos Gutierrez popped into an El Paso airport gift shop on his way to catch a flight for
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