No new El Paso virus deaths, but spread is on the rise with 214 new cases reported

EL PASO, Texas -- No new coronavirus deaths were reported Saturday in El Paso County, but that welcome news was seemingly overshadowed by a continued sharp rise in new infections that local leaders believe stems from the Labor Day holiday weekend.

There were 214 new cases on Saturday, along with two delayed cases, reported by health officials for a pandemic tally to date of 23,604. The death count remained at 515.

Saturday marked the eighth day in a row that El Paso saw a triple-digit increase in additional infections being reported. Active cases were at 3,463, with 19,521 individuals listed as recovered, although doctors note that some recovered persons may still experience ongoing health issues as a result of having been infected.

Just a day prior, the El Paso Independent School District cited the re-emergence of an upward trend in virus spread in its decision to delay the reopening of schools for in-person classes.

"In the last week alone, the (infection) rate has steadily risen each day to almost 8 percent," EPISD said in a statement, citing World Health Organization guidelines that indicate a sustained 5 percent positivity rate over two weeks is an optimal sign of a virus-safe community.

As of Saturday, there were 150 patients hospitalized due to virus-related illness, while 65 of those El Pasoans remained in the intensive care unit.

Complete El Paso health department Covid-19 data can be found at epstrong.org.