7 new virus deaths in El Paso; hospitalizations reach new peak

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Department of Public Health announced seven coronavirus-related deaths and 249 new cases Friday morning.

The death toll now stands at 218. There have already been 39 new deaths this week, which is a new record for El Paso.

Health officials said all seven victims had underling health conditions. They were identified as:

•         1 man in his 40s
•         1 woman in her 50s
•         1 woman in her 70s
•         3 men in their 80s
•         1 man in his 90s

There are currently 3,418 known active cases, that's 146 fewer than the day before. Health officials reported 388 new recoveries.

Since the start of the pandemic, El Paso has had 12,750 confirmed cases and 9,114 reported recoveries. Research shows some recovered persons can still have long-term health issues stemming from the virus.

Hospitalizations increased from 310 to 317, which is a new all-time high. The number of patients in the ICU decreased from 116 to 105.

There are 48 patients on ventilators.

In the past seven days, on average, 14.57% of tests conducted in El Paso County have come back positive.

For a complete look at El Paso's Covid-19 data from the health department, click here.