7th victim dies from virus as El Paso sees 3rd straight day of double-digit case increases

EL PASO, Texas — El Paso's Department of Public Health announced another death from the coronavirus on Thursday evening, bringing the death toll to seven in the county.

The latest death, involving a man in his 60s who had underlying health conditions, came as officials also reported a third-straight day of double-digit case increases.

There were 58 new infections over the past day, bringing the total number of El Pasoans diagnosed with the virus to 451. Among the latest confirmed cases include an employee at the Target store at Sunland Park and a custodian at Pebble Hills High School.

Officials said 48 of those individuals were currently hospitalized, with ten of the patients listed in intensive care. So far, 62 people have recovered.

City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza said the large increase in cases was due, in part, to an increase in testing. He pointed out that the testing rate in El Paso is three and a half times greater than the national average.

"Approximately 5.9 per 1,000 residents have been tested for Covid-19 as compared to 1.6 per 1,000 nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control," Ocaranza said. "To date, it is estimated that more than 5,000 tests have been performed."

However, the county's top doctor said we're far from being in a position to conduct universal testing and have to be "judicious" with testing resources.

“As much as we wish we were, we are not at a point in time where we are able to test the entire population," Ocaranza explained. "We are still being strategic about how we test, focusing on at-risk populations, such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions."

Below is the latest case locator map and other demographic information on the virus outbreak as provided by the health department.