Three Maverick County Citizens Dead from COVID-19 and 108 New Positive Cases Confirmed, Bringing Total to 16 Deaths, 1,169 Cases, and 61 Hospitalized
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The novel coronavirus pandemic is relentlessly spreading like wildfire throughout Maverick County, the State of Texas, and United States with no end in sight without any national strategic plan in place by President Donald J. Trump and his Administration, leaving the states, counties, and cities the responsibility of handling the deadly virus from spreading with their own conflicting and inconsistent plans throughout America.
The lack of national leadership in the midst of the wrath of the lethal COVID-19 pandemic has caused devastating consequences to millions of Americans health, over 140,000 lives lost, and the national economy is facing a depression unseen since the Great Depression of the 1930s as it continues unabated in its first phase into the summer and upcoming fall season. Maverick County is no exception to this unnecessary devastation.
Three Maverick County citizens paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives due to COVID-19, another 108 tested positive for COVID-19, and another 61 are hospitalized battling for their lives on Friday, July 17, 2020, according to Eagle Pass Mayor Luis E. Sifuentes and Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo at a press conference.
With these newly announced COVID-19 cases, the total number of deaths in Maverick County increases to 16 fellow, dearly beloved citizens, another 1,169 citizens infected with the coronavirus, and the only hospital in the county health services have been overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic as it reached 90 percent capacity on July 17, 2020.
Mayor Sifuentes stated that the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center is now at 90 percent capacity and every patient in the hospital is now admitted due to COVID-19, requiring the hospital to open and convert its third floor rehabilitation services center into a COVID-19 only patients floor in order to expand the number of hospital beds to attend the surging number of COVID-19 patients in the community.
If the current trend of COVID-19 cases continues, Maverick County will run out of hospital beds to treat their COVID-19 patients soon. The hospital might have to place two patients per room to expand the number of beds, but eventually a field hospital might be necessary to handle the overflow of COVID-19 patients in the community.
Mayor Sifuentes previously indicated that the City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center has contacted the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Congressman Will Hurd for assistance in obtaining a field hospital and the medical equipment and medical personnel necessary to operate it. They have not yet received an answer from the state and federal governments.
Sifuentes noted that of the 61 hospitalized people at the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, 12 of them are in the Intensive Care Unit with all of them on ventilators, another 28 are in the Medical Floor with 26 positive cases and two pending test results, and another 21 are in the Emergency Room with nine positive cases and 12 pending test results with four on ventilators.
Sifuentes pleaded with Maverick County residents, stating to them that “We need to be more conscience about the hospital’s limitations and its [medical] staff.” The local hospital lacks the necessary medical personnel to handle the surging overflow of COVID-19 patients in the community. The state of Texas earlier sent five nurses to temporarily assist the local hospital and most recently sent a military disaster task force team of 12 medics to assist the local hospital. Like most U.S.-Mexico border communities, Maverick County has a grossly underserved health care providers dilemma.
Sifuentes petitioned with his constituents to “Let’s Play it Safe,” referring to follow and practice the CDC guidelines such as wearing a face mask in public, wash hands with soap regularly, use hand sanitizer, avoid gatherings of 10 or more, limit travel to essential matters, and stay at home. Sifuentes admonished all residents of Maverick County to “not gather outside your homes, keep it to yourselves and [immediate] family” to avoid the community spread of COVID-19.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo stated that Mayor Sifuentes and him had met with Local Health Authority Dr. Victoriano Valdez and Dr. Hector Trevino and Eagle Pass Independent School District Board President Jorge Barrera, Board Vice-President Hilda Martinez, and Superintendent Samuel Mijares on July 17 to discuss the impact of the surging COVID-19 pandemic on the proposed school opening date of August 17, 2020.
Saucedo announced that the Local Health Authority and the group had decided to recommend to the local school board to extend its opening date for public schools from August 17 by two weeks to August 31. Over 14,400 students attend the Eagle Pass Independent School District. The local school board meets on Monday, July 20, to make its formal decision on when to reopen the public schools for the 2020-2021 school year and the form of instruction students will receive.
Texas reported a total of 10,158 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on Saturday, July 18, 2020, plus 130 deaths, and 10,658 hospitalized people, bringing the total numbers to 317,730 positive COVID-19 cases and 3,865 deaths from COVID-19. Texas now has reported over 10,000 new coronavirus cases for the fifth consecutive day in a row.
Nationally, the United States reported a single day high record of 77,300 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, July 16, and another 71,600 cases on Friday, July 17, bringing the total number to over 140,000 total deaths from COVID-19 and over 3,600,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
While Maverick County and the rest of the nation battled the intensifying COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald J. Trump enjoyed another leisurely round of golf at his Virginia golf club on Saturday, July 18, 2020, his 370th trip to one of his properties and 278th trip to one of his golf clubs since becoming president.
