No new El Paso virus deaths, but active cases & hospitalizations rise

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso health officials on Saturday reported 421 additional known Covid-19 infections, but no new deaths.

It marked a significant change from the day prior, when officials reported a half-dozen added deaths to start the year.

Active cases increased to 34,563, but the death toll remained at 1,473.

There were still 544 deaths listed as under investigation on Saturday. These are suspected Covid-19 fatalities that have yet to be confirmed, although historically the majority of suspected deaths end up being confirmed by health authorities.

As of Saturday morning, 390 virus patients were hospitalized in El Paso, which marked a slight increase after multiple days of declines. Of those, 138 were listed in intensive care, with 111 requiring the use of ventilators.

Cumulative virus cases during the pandemic total 99,327, with officials listing 62,715 El Pasoans as having recovered. However, doctors caution that some recovered persons may still suffer long-term health impacts from having been impacted.

Complete El Paso health department data on Covid-19 can be found online at EPStrong.org.