4 COVID-19 positives at UTRGV

UTRGV reported four COVID-19 cases between Oct. 22 and 28, according to a university official.  

Doug Arney, vice president for Administrative Support Services and chair of the Infectious Disease Committee at UTRGV, said among the four were two students, one faculty and one staff member.

UTRGV updates the number of cases reported for campus individuals weekly through the Confirmed Cases Dashboard. The numbers on the website are provided by the university COVID-19 Response Team.

Arney said no UTRGV students were quarantined on campus the week of Oct. 22 to 28.

UTRGV has provided 50 rooms in separate wings of the Casa Bella Apartments on the Brownsville campus and in the Village Apartments in Edinburg for quarantining students.

As of last Wednesday, UT Health RGV had administered 45,882 tests and 86,340 vaccine doses, according to the Confirmed Cases Dashboard on the UTRGV COVID-19 website.

According to an Oct. 25 campuswide email sent from UT Health RGV, the university is encouraging the campus community to update their vaccine status through the UTRGV Vaccine Portal. 

Students, faculty and staff have the option of updating their status through the portal to request a booster or let the university know that one has already been administered to them. 

“According to the CDC’s latest recommendations, eligible individuals may now ‘mix and match’ or choose which vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson) they receive as a booster dose,” the email reads.

However, UT Health RGV does not distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  

As previously reported by The Rider, those who qualify for the booster dose include:

–anyone age 65 and older who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago

–people age 12 and older who are moderate to severely immunocompromised and received their second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna at least 28 days or four weeks ago

–18-to-64-year-olds with any underlying medical condition who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago

–anyone age 18 and older with occupations that elevate their risk of exposure and who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago.

In Hidalgo and Cameron counties, COVID-19 cases continue to be reported. 

Hidalgo County reported 82 confirmed cases last Wednesday, raising the county’s total to 118,008, according to its website.

As of last Wednesday, the county reported two deaths, raising its death toll to 3,460. Neither of the two dead were vaccinated.

Last Tuesday, Cameron County Public Health reported 13 COVID-19 cases, raising its total to 53,478.

Cameron County also reported two COVID-19-related deaths last Tuesday, raising its death toll to 1,977. Neither of the two dead were vaccinated.