Elective surgeries in El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson counties are suspended while the government responds to the COVID-19 case outbreak.
A letter from Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Department of State Health Services, informed county judges that the order arrived on Sunday.
Hellerstedt’s letter indicated that the 3 counties’ trauma service domain had exceeded the 15% threshold of hospitalized patients treated by COVID-19 in the last seven days, resulting in suspension. The mandate will remain in force until this number drops to 15% or less for seven consecutive days. The threshold is in Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, issued on October 7.
Also on Sunday, all restaurants, retail stores, workplace buildings, production facilities, gyms and training facilities, classrooms, museums and libraries in counties will have to return to a maximum occupancy rate of 50%.
Exceptions are made for any county that qualifies for the highest occupancy levels, as it has minimal instances of COVID-19 as a component of the State Decomposing Fitness Service certification process, the order says. The Trauma Decomponentment domain had begun the certification process.
El Paso Times contacted El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego for comment.
Hospital capacity in the three counties region reached just over 20 on Sunday, according to state data.
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Mayor Dee Margo announced Thursday that non-essential businesses in El Paso would increase its capacity from 75% to 50% as of Friday due to the increase in COVID-1nine cases. In addition, restaurants are limited to takeaway and drive-by. service after nine o’clock at night and the bars will be closed.
Visitors will not be allowed at the county’s nursing facilities. Indoor sports were suspended and outdoor sports cannot have spectators, this does not apply to professional and school sports, Margo said.
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Meetings in the park are limited to 10 other people or less and home meetings are no longer allowed.
El Paso County reported 555 new instances of COVID-19 on Monday. The county has noticed large spikes in instances in recent times, adding a record 838 new instances on Friday and 717 new instances on Thursday. So far, another 557 people have died of COVID- 19 in El Paso County. Lately there are 496 patients with COVID-19 in county hospitals, with 134 extensive care patients and 64 with respirators. Health knowledge shows that 33% of inpatients in El Paso County are treated by COVID-19