EL PASO, Texas — El Paso public health officials reported ten additional Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, raising the county’s pandemic fatality count to 2,173. The latest deaths included a woman in her 30s, 3 men in their 60s, 2 men and a woman in their 70s, and a man and 2 women in their 80s.
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UPDATE, March 5: Albertsons changed course on Friday, saying it would now continue to mandate masks for customers in its Texas grocery stores when a state requirement expires next week. Just a couple days ago, the chain drew a flurry of attention when a spokesperson told ABC-7 it would lift the mask requirement when the
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — Doña Ana County might be the second most populous county in New Mexico, but as of Friday, its coronavirus vaccination rate was the fifth worst in the state. “You just want to be safe,” said Larry Brown, a 69-year-old Doña Ana County man with hypertension. “We worry a lot.” Brown
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El Paso, Texas — Once known Covid-19 hotspots, active virus cases at nursing homes in Texas have dropped nearly 80 percent since late December to early March, according to data complied by ABC-7 from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/5399313/ (Data complied using information from Texas DHHS. Region 2, includes El Paso
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced 31 coronavirus-related deaths Friday morning. The latest deaths include 3 men and 6 women in their 50s, 5 men and 7 women in their 60s, 1 man and 3 women in their 70s, 3 men and 1 woman in their 80s, and
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EL PASO, Texas– Much has been made about the new Covid-19 vaccine to enter circulation. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine received emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, February 27th. The vaccine, unlike Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines only require one dose, however it’s effectiveness is not as high. While the
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EL PASO, Texas — In a highly personal letter where he recounts the Covid-19 deaths of his mother and brother, El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser wrote to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday evening seeking authority for the city to impose its own mask mandate when the state’s is lifted next week. Leeser shares with
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Roughly one in seven people in El Paso County have now had Covid-19. Hospitalizations are decreasing, but health experts say there is a new kind of surge on our healthcare system as those previously infected seek specialists for lingering symptoms. “I was throwing up. I had diarrhea for a whole
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EL PASO, Texas — University Medical Center of El Paso finally closed registration for 3,000 vaccination appointments for “super seniors” – those 70 years of age and older – at 4 p.m. Thursday. A UMC spokesman indicated it took seven hours to fill those spots after the hospital had opened its registration website and phone
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Every week, ABC-7 anchor Mauricio Casillas will speak to Dr. Edward Michelson. Dr. Michelson is the chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. Here’s the Q&A for March 4: Mauricio Casillas (KVIA): How has this past week gone for you? Dr.
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — In April 2020, an optimistic Gov. Greg Abbott announced at the Texas Capitol that he would soon take initial steps to allow businesses to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. The loosening of restrictions, his team said, would be informed by a statewide “strike force,” composed of business leaders and four medical experts who would advise the
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Dr. Ogechika Alozie, a member of Texas’ infectious disease preparedness task force, joined ABC-7’s Good Morning El Paso live and spoke about Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent decision to lift statewide coronavirus restrictions. “Politicians are not going to save and help us improve our health,” Dr. Alozie said. “People are going
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced 35 coronavirus-related deaths Thursday morning. The deaths include a woman in her 30s, 4 men and a woman in their 50s, 7 men and 3 women in their 60s, 5 men and 4 fwomen in their 70s, 3 men and 2 women
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SANTA FE, New Mexico — The U.S. government needs to boost vaccine supplies if it wants New Mexico to meet a new mandate for getting at least one shot into the arms of all teachers by the end of March, top state officials said Wednesday. Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins said during a briefing (you can watch
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — Masks are still required in Texas public schools unless local school boards decide to make them optional, the Texas Education Agency announced Wednesday. The guidance follows an announcement from the Texas Department of State Health Services that school and child care staff are now eligible for vaccines, effective immediately. It fills an information
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EL PASO, Texas — Mayor Oscar Leeser and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego on Wednesday implored El Pasoans to continue wearing masks in the wake of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift the state’s mask mandate and business occupancy limits come next week. The El Paso leaders, speaking at a news conference to address local residents,
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EL PASO, Texas — The ramifications of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that he will remove the statewide mask mandate and allow all businesses to reopen at full capacity next week are being felt by many. The Texas Education Agency on Wednesday updated its public health guidance in response to Abbott’s order. The TEA stated
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EL PASO, Texas — The Catholic diocese of El Paso announced Wednesday that it will continue restrictions at churches on the number of people allowed to attend masses despite a lifting of state mandates. El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz said churches would remain limited to amaximum of 25% of their capacity for masses and other
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — Exactly 1,000 doses of the newly approved, single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine have arrived at Memorial Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said Wednesday. “This is now our third manufacturer that is releasing there vaccines to the southern New Mexico area,” said Ryan Perkins, a spokesman for Memorial Medical Center. Hospital staff,
Continue Reading AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Wednesday that school and child care personnel are now eligible to be vaccinated against coronavirus. According to DSHS, they received a letter from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services directing it to expand eligibility to include people who work in school and
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — A corrections officer is suing Dona Ana County over a requirement that first-responders and other employees be vaccinated, setting up another legal fight during a pandemic that is testing local and federal public health laws. Isaac Legaretta says in a complaint filed Feb. 26 in federal court that a directive
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden sharply criticized states such as Texas and Mississippi for lifting Covid-19 restrictions against pleas from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top public health officials, accusing those in power of “Neanderthal thinking.” “I think it’s a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody’s realized by now,
Continue Reading The end of mask mandates in Texas and Mississippi has created a dilemma for businesses: Keep such safety rules in place to protect against Covid-19 spread, as leading health officials advise, or follow the two states’ decisions and loosen restrictions. Leading U.S. grocery chains, pharmacies, retailers and auto manufacturers, including Target, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Best
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AUSTIN, Texas — CVS Pharmacy is now offering Covid-19 vaccines to teachers, daycare and preschool workers in Texas. The pharmacy was previously only offering appointments to essential workers, people 65 years and older, or those 16+ with chronic medical conditions. The news comes one day after President Joe Biden directed states to start prioritizing teachers
Continue Reading EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Department of Public Health announced 11 coronavirus-related deaths and 199 new cases Wednesday morning. The latest deaths include a man in his 50s, a man and two women in their 60s, three men in their 70s, and a man and three women in their 80s. El Paso
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UPDATE: All of University Medical Center’s latest vaccination appointments were booked within about an hour of online registration going live at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Usually it only takes minutes to fill up. The reason it took until 7:03 p.m. this time is because over 87,000 people went to the website at once, causing it to crash.
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EL PASO, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that mandated virus restrictions will be lifted starting March 10, at which time it’ll be up to businesses to decide if they want to keep those restrictions in place. The owner of Pour Judgement bar in central is El Paso told ABC-7 he is excited
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LUBBOCK, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott will end Texas’ statewide mask mandate and allow all businesses to reopen at full capacity as of next Wednesday, March 10. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Abbott said at a news conference Tuesday. “People and businesses don’t need the state telling them how to operate any
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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — The decision to drop mask requirements and pandemic occupancy limits in Texas will have a ripple effect on New Mexico, the mayor of Las Cruces warned on Tuesday. “It obviously puts New Mexico in a tough situation,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima. “Specifically, here in Las Cruces.” The city of Las
Continue Reading WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. expects to take delivery of enough coronavirus vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May, two months earlier than anticipated, as his administration announced that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s newly approved shot. With the bolstered
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