El Paso leaders are warning of anincrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Within two days, the countyreported almost 800 new COVID-19 infections, officials said Friday.
"Amonth ago, the rolling average of new cases was 141," El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said during a packed news conference at City Hall. "Today, we're almost at 300—we're trending upwards."
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Leeser said most of the reportednew infections are from people who are unvaccinated.
Hospitalizations, Leeser said, also have increased by 30% over the past seven days.
Leeser said he advocates El Pasoans wear face masks, practice social distancing and wash their hands oftenduringthe upcoming holiday season.
"Please make sure that if you're at a gathering, you know who you're withand make sure that you take proper precaution," Leeser said.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego called for El Pasoans to "return to the basics" for COVID-19 guidelines as the winter season approaches. Samaniego said El Pasoans should be more conscientious about their health and not delay preventive care checkups.
Hospitals face staffing issues
Vaccinating against COVID-19, Samaniego said, also willhelp keep people out of hospitals for serious infections and relieve strained hospital resources.
"We have space right now. We have beds,but we don't have personnel," Samaniego said. "We have to be very careful ofwhat we do from here on out.The brunt of the problem ends up at the hospital, and when it ends up at the hospital,you have health care issues that beginto back up. That's when we havemore serious situations."
Leeser said Samaniego and he are trying a more proactive approach, so that cases don't get as bad as last year.
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Schools given face covering recommendations
Samaniego said when it comes to school districts, heand the mayor only can make recommendations about mask mandates.
Samaniego called for El Pasoans to "listen to the science," get vaccinated and to not let their guard down.
"These are recommendations, and these are things that we want our community to rally behind," Leeser said. "Understand that if we don't do theproper things, we could getinfected."
Both leaders urged El Pasoans to continue to get vaccinated and to schedule their booster shots.
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COVID-19 impact on El Paso County schools, sports
Education already has been affected by the increase in COVID-19 infections.
The El Paso Independent School District confirmed Thursday that the Coronado High School boys basketball program canceledFriday's season opener and Tuesday's gameas a precaution due to COVID-19 protocols, but officials would not be more specific.
And the Canutillo Independent School District closed two schools due to COVID-19 cases.
CISD Superintendent Pedro Galaviz and El Paso Public Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza discussedthe school closures Friday.
The district closedCanutillo Middle and Jose Damian Elementary schools Friday for a long weekend in response to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff at the campuses. The students were to learn remotely while the schools were cleaned and sanitized over the weekend. They are expected to return for in-person schoolingMonday.
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There were 58 COVID-19 cases at Canutillo Middle and 27 cases at Jose Damian Elementary as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, a district spokesperson said Friday.
There are22 students in each classroom on average, Galaviz said, adding the district has seen a correlation between rising COVID-19 cases and school functions and activities.
Galaviz said the district would continue to follow Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order banning mask mandates in Texas public schools and added Canutillo ISD will continue to encourage mask usage,hand sanitizing and vaccination against COVID-19.
"We want to honor the relationships we have with the parents," Galaviz said."It's serious. We're scared, we're concerned, we hear you, we feel your frustration.I don't like your babies being out of school.we know remote conferencing shows marginal results."
Canutillo ISD principals have been tasked with submitting plans detailing their COVID-19 safety protocols to the district, which will be reviewed by health experts and Ocaranza, Galaviz said.
"They're going to be submitting their plans and we're going to work together," Galaviz said.
COVID-19 cases have been rising as the holidays approach.
"In just about a month, the (COVID-19) hospitalizations have continued to increase," Ocaranza said."This pandemic has become a pandemic of the unvaccinated."
At a regular board meeting Monday, Nov.15,trustees will consider authorizinga $500 yearly stipend to encourage individuals to sign up to be part ofcampus rapid testing teams, "due to the limitations of finding employees to assist with COVID Rapid Testing on campuses," according tothe board agenda item.
The individuals will completerapid testing training and would administer rapid tests to students with parental permission. Funding for the stipends would be paid out of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds to mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks in the schools.
The stipend would be for campus staff members who conduct the rapid testing for the 2021-22 school year.
If COVID-19cases continue to rise in El Paso schools, Ocaranza said, the expectation is to switch students overto learning remotely to isolate positive cases from other students.
"This is not just exclusive to Canutillo;it'shappeningall across the county. We are seeing that the numbers are rising and you're going to be finding positive cases in schools," Ocaranza said.
Pediatric COVID-19 admissions to hospitals increasing
"Across the country we're seeing that pediatric admissions to the hospitals is rising sharply," he said. "The number of positive cases also haveincreased in the pediatric population less than 18 years of age."
The city received an allotment of 10,000 COVID-19 vaccine dosesand rapidly began vaccinating children 5 to 11 after the age groupbecame eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine last week.
The greater El Paso regionreceived 106,800 total vaccine doses from the state, Department of Public Health Director Angela Mora said at a news conference Nov. 4.
More:City giving COVID-19 vaccines to kid 5-11; Immunize El Paso to vaccinate in 140 schools
Ocaranza recommended families have smaller gatherings during the holidays, get vaccinated and send fewer family members to do holiday shopping to mitigate the spread of the virus.
"If you get the vaccine to your children, you're going to be protecting them,but also you're going to be protecting your grandparents and all the other extended family that you're going to be gathering with during this holiday season," Ocaranza said.
El Paso County COVID-19 data update
According to the city/countyonline COVID-19 dashboard, 99.9% of adults 65 years old and older are partially vaccinated, while91% of the same age group is fully vaccinated.
On Friday, El Paso health officials reported 343 new cases, for a total of 152,696 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county.
There also were two more deaths, raising the toll to 2,851.
There were 4,171 active cases, with 184 people hospitalized, including 80 in intensive care and 31 on ventilators. Records show 145,511 people in the county have recovered from the illness.
There have been 4,534 breakthrough cases, including 279 that required hospitalization, with 64 patients being placed in intensive care and 20 on ventilators. There have been 35 breakthrough deaths.
On Friday, 8% of the patient capacity in El Paso County was taken by COVID-19 patients.
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Anthony Jackson may be reached at ADJackson@elpasotimes.com and @TonyAnjackson on Twitter.
Cristina Carreon maybe reached atccarreon@elpasotimes.comand@Cris_carreon90on Twitter.
Staff writer Felix Chavez contributed to this report.
