The difference a year made for El Paso Labor Day celebrations

EL PASO, Texas — El Pasoans celebrated Labor Day on Monday - a year after the holiday was put on hold during the pandemic. 

A year makes a big difference as more attractions were open for people to get out and enjoy the holiday, including the El Paso Zoo. 

The zoo was closed for eight months in 2020, including Labor Day, but this year many El Pasoans brought their families to see the wildlife. 

“Well it’s certainly better than last year,” Joe Montisano, the director of the El Paso Zoo, said. 

Kids were able to get the day off from school and go feed the giraffes and play in the zoo’s splash pad. 

“It feels good. No more work… no more school work,” Isaiah Thrasher said with a smile. 

A lot more has changed in a year, including the Covid numbers. Labor Day 2020 saw 2,832 active cases, while this year there were over a thousand fewer cases, set at 1,762. 

The number of people in the intensive care unit of hospitals were down by seven when compared to last year, but the overall hospitalization numbers were higher this year, 117, compared to last year’s 103 hospitalizations on Labor Day.