El Paso surpasses 15,000 confirmed cases; 2 new virus deaths reported

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County has now had 15,142 confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.

The Department of Public Health announced two new virus deaths and 228 new cases Tuesday morning.

The death toll now stands at 278. The health department said the two victims were men; one in his 60s, the other in his 70s. Both had underlying health conditions.

El Paso County has now recorded virus-related deaths for 16 straight days as of Tuesday.

There were 3,621 known active cases. That number has been increasing for the past three days. There have now been 11,243 reported recoveries, although research shows some who recover from Covid-19 may face long term health issues stemming from the virus.

Hospitalizations increased from 288 to 290. However, the number of patients in El Paso's ICUs decreased from 103 to 96. It's the first time the number of ICU patients has been below 100 since July 25.

There are 42 patients on ventilators, 10 fewer than the day before.

In the past seven days, on average, 10.2 percent of tests conducted in El Paso County are coming back positive.

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