Roxanna Miranda/The Rider Photos
Alejandra Yañez | THE RIDER
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño issued the Twelfth Amended Emergency Management Order after the county was declared an area of high hospitalization on Saturday.
According to a Facebook post from the Office of Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the judge received a letter from Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt, “indicating that our Region Trauma Service Area V has exceeded 15% of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage total of hospital capacity for seven consecutive days.”
The Twelfth Amended Emergency Management Order explains that because the county has exceeded the threshold of the Executive Order GA-32, and is now an area of high hospitalization, it is required to reduce occupancy levels from 75% to 50%.
The mandate also states that medical facilities in Cameron County may no longer perform elective surgeries given the gravity of the COVID-19 situation.
Under GA-32 there are no occupancy limitations on the following:
–Religious services
–Grocery stores
–Pharmacies
–Convenience stores
–Pet stores
–Walmart/Target Superstores
–Gun stores
–Shooting ranges
–Local government operations
–Child care services
–Youth camps
–Recreational sports programs for youths and adults
–Any public or private schools and any public or private institutions of higher educations
The 50% occupancy limitations applies to the following:
–Professional, collegiate or similar sporting events
–Swimming pools
–Water parks
–Museums and libraries
–Zoos, aquariums, natural caverns and similar facilities
–Rodeos and equestrian events
–Amusement parks and carnivals
Due to the state of Cameron County’s hospital facilities, Treviño has closed all bars and placed limitations on gatherings.
The order went into effect at 3 p.m. Saturday and will stand until 12:01 p.m. Feb. 5, unless extended by Trevino.
As of this morning, the county confirmed an additional 126 COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of positive cases to 31,473, with 26,682 recovered.
An additional six deaths were also reported, raising the total death toll to 1,218.
“Please stop the spread and heed the advice and mandates in place,” said Treviño in a Facebook post Saturday.
