El Paso suffers ‘devastating day’ – deadliest of pandemic with 8 new virus deaths; total cases over 2,400
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Department of Public Health reported eight new Covid-19 deaths in El Paso County on Wednesday morning, making it the community's deadliest day due to the virus.
It marks the largest single-day increase in deaths since the pandemic began. The previous peak was seven new deaths recorded on May 7.
The death toll now stands at 68.
“It is a devastating day for our community. I’m at a loss for words to explain the depth of our sorrow,” said City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza.
He identified the latest victims as two women in their 80s and another in her 90s, along with one man in each of these age brackets: 40s, 50s, 60, 70s and 80s. All had underlying health conditions.
“The majority of the deaths we have seen are made up of our most vulnerable residents such as our seniors, people with underlying health conditions and those who are immuno-compromised," explained Dr. Ocaranza. "We ask the community not to risk their lives. We urge everyone to please do your part to keep your loved ones safe.”
There were also 68 additional virus cases reported on Wednesday, pushing the total number of confirmed infections over 2,400.
Of those 2,461 cases, 1,008 cases are considered active. The Department of Public Health said that 1,385 El Pasoans have now recovered, an increase of 50 from the day before. However, new daily cases still outnumber the day's newly recovered.
Hospitalizations increased by four to 110, but the number of those in intensive care decreased by two to 65. There are 25 patients on ventilators.
For a complete breakdown of the latest coronavirus data, click here.
