Coronavirus cases continue surge in El Paso, rise by 1,216

EL PASO, Texas – The surge in coronavirus in the Texas border city of El Paso continued Saturday with a record 1,216 new cases, nearly 20% of the state’s daily count, according to city-county health officials.

There have been 3,346 cases in the city during the in the past three days and more than 5,800 during the past week, according to city-county health reports. El Paso has reported 38,554 total cases since the pandemic began in March.

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“Today’s spike is part of an unfortunate national surge that we have been planning and preparing for," public health director Angela Mora said in a statement. "Now, we need our community to help us by doing their part and staying home, if and when possible, for the next two weeks in order to stop the rapid the spread of the virus.”

Gov. Greg Abbott has sent medical equipment and about 500 medical personnel to the region to help fight the virus.

State health officials on Saturday reported 6,125 new virus cases and 81 more deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

There have been more than 858,000 reported cases and nearly 17,500 deaths in Texas since the pandemic’s start.