9 new virus deaths in El Paso as hospitalizations reach yet another record high

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Department of Public Health announced nine new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday morning.

It's the second deadliest virus day El Paso County has experienced since the start of the pandemic. The record of 14 was set last week.

The death toll now stands at 196 in El Paso County.

Officials said all nine of the latest fatalities were men - two in their 50s, one in his 60s, three in their 70s, one in his 80s and two in their 90s.

“We continue to be saddened by the ongoing loss of lives, and send our deepest condolences to the family members of these nine men,” said City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza. 

The health department also reported 256 new virus cases. There are currently 3,859 known active cases. That's 178 fewer than the day before.

There have been 12,297 confirmed cases to date, with 8,242 reported recoveries, although research shows some recovered persons can still have long-term health issues stemming from the virus.

Hospitalizations and the number of ICU patients reached new highs: 310 and 116 respectively. There are 46 patients on ventilators.

In the past seven days, on average, 16.28% of tests conducted in El Paso County have yielded positive results.

“The continued cases and loss of lives should concern everyone and push all of us to strictly adhere to the unending refrain to limit your interactions, wear a face covering, practice social distancing and wash your hands often with soap and water," Dr. Ocaranza said.

He added, "We continue to repeat this over and over again because there is no vaccine for this disease at this time; which is why we need for each person to take these extra preventative steps to protect yourself and others.”

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