COVID-19 Cases Increase with Omicron Variant in Maverick County, Another Local Citizen Dies from COVID-19
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced one additional Maverick County citizen died from COVID-19 on January 6, 2022 at the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center in Eagle Pass, Texas and 1,432 confirmed positive cases reported from January 1-6, 2022 in Maverick County, bringing the cumulative total to 418 fatalities and 14,541 confirmed positive cases in Maverick County.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo stated at a January 6, 2022 press conference that the significant increase of confirmed positive cases is more than likely attributed to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and the holidays where local citizens gathered with family and friends to celebrate.
Saucedo noted that there are 11 Maverick County citizens hospitalized at the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center with three on ventilators. Saucedo added that the deceased individual from COVID-19 on January 6 was not vaccinated. Saucedo encouraged all Maverick County citizens eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated and those eligible for a booster dose to get boosted.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. stated that a total of 669 COVID-19 tests were administered in the community from January 5-6, 2022 with 255 confirmed positive results, a 38 percent positivity rate among those tested. Salinas added that many local citizens are self-testing at home and it is unknown how many of these home tests are positive since they are unreported, making it difficult to obtain an accurate picture of the total confirmed positive cases in the community.
United Medical Centers, a rural community health center in Maverick, Kinney, and Val Verde counties, is administering COVID-19 tests and vaccines at their medical clinics in Eagle Pass, Brackettville, and Del Rio, announced William Worrell, Chief Executive Officer of United Medical Centers.
Worrell noted that United Medical Centers has administered over 15,000 COVID-19 tests and over 45,000 vaccines in the three counties it serves. Worrell invited local citizens to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 test and/or vaccine at one of their clinics. Worrell added the United Medical Centers clinic at 4018 El Indio Highway in Eagle Pass is administering COVID-19 tests and vaccines to local residents and to students at Eagle Pass Independent School District campuses.
Saucedo stated the Maverick County Emergency Operations Center will continue to monitor the rate of infections and hospitalizations with Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, all local healthcare providers, and Eagle Pass Independent School District to determine if any public policy changes are needed in the community.
Maverick County citizens may obtain COVID-19 tests and vaccines at United Medical Centers, Maverick County Hospital District, Stat Specialty Hospital, Fort Duncan Regional Medical Centers, Walgreen’s Pharmacy, H.E.B. Pharmacy, Walmart Pharmacy, Curative COVID-19 Test Kiosks, Atlantic Medical Clinic, and local healthcare providers.
Maverick County like the state of Texas and the United States is experiencing a surge of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as a result of the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading like wildfire through society. Citizens are encouraged to follow all the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of getting vaccinated and boosted, wear face masks, use hand sanitizer regularly, wash hands regularly, maintain social distancing, avoid large gatherings of 10 or more people, and limit travel for essential matters to minimize potential infection by the Omicron variant.
