Top doctor says Texas & El Paso see virus hospitalizations drop to lowest levels since early July

AUSTIN, Texas – The state of Texas is on the right track in its fight against the coronavirus with hospitalizations on the decline - and El Paso is doing even better, said one of the governor’s top medical advisers in an interview with ABC-7.

Both Texas and El Paso on Monday saw hospitalizations drop to their lowest levels since early July, according to the Department of State Health Services.

“About 17 percent of patients who are in the hospital are Covid-related patients,” said Dr. John Zerwas, who is on Gov. Greg Abbott’s Strike Force to Reopen Texas and the state’s Supply Chain Strike Force.

“In El Paso, your numbers are better than that, around 14 or 15 percent as far as patients hospitalized with Covid,” Zerwas said. “And your ICU number is also down based on the statewide number. You are down around 31 percent, while statewide, ICU numbers for Covid patients are around 38 percent.”

The state reported 7,304 patients being hospitalized Monday because of the virus. In El Paso, hospitalizations were at 198 -- dropping below 200 for the first time since July 3.

Texas also reported 4,445 new cases as well as 31 new deaths from the coronavirus. El Paso accounted for seven of those additional deaths in the state and 86 of the added cases.

Zerwas in an interview with ABC-7 said “all these numbers are moving in the right direction.”

The state also reported 12,204 available staffed hospital beds, including 1,184 available staffed beds in intensive care statewide.

“I think we are moving in the right direction,” Zerwas said. “The citizens of Texas have taken the message very seriously, that for us to get through this, until there is some more definitive type of treatment, whether that is a vaccine or some other type of therapeutic, the best thing for us to do is mask up, wash your hands and avoid those congregant setting.”