Just 9 available ICU beds in El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson counties due to virus spike

EL PASO, Texas -- As the El Paso region experiences a spike in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations have also been on the jump - straining the capacity of the medical system in far west Texas.

According to newly-posted data by the state of Texas on Tuesday afternoon, there were just nine intensive care unit beds available among hospitals in the El Paso region encompassing three counties: El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson.

Texas data showed the percentage of total hospitalizations related to Covid-19 in the three-county region on Tuesday stood at 17.72% - above the state's 15% threshold of concern.

The state numbers were provided just hours after local health officials said El Paso County alone broke a record for Covid-19 hospitalizations on Tuesday. There were currently 353 coronavirus patients in El Paso's hospitals, with 101 in intensive care units.

Dozens of medical workers and stockpiles of personal protective equipment supplied by the state of Texas also began arriving in El Paso on Tuesday to help hospitals deal with the virus surge.

Over the past week, according to local health department data, hospitalizations in El Paso County have risen 134%.

In addition, Tuesday was the sixth straight day of over 400 new daily infections being reported in El Paso County.