Area News

With nearly 50,000 COVID-19 cases administered, Hidalgo County is reporting 268 new cases of the disease and seven more deaths. Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez confirmed the new numbers in a Thursday news release, adding that the total number of positive cases is now 4,520. The deaths involved two women and five men from…

Starting next week, those 65 and older will be tested first in COVID-19 testing sites across Hidalgo County. County officials made the announcement in a Thursday news release outlining new requirements being implemented at COVID-19 testing sites. To ensure residents receive their results in a timely manner, residents must now present a photo ID, physical…

Facing an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the state, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday requiring all Texans to wear a face covering in public. The state has seen more than 175K cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,518 deaths. Abbott said in a news release that wearing a face covering in public…

Mission police officers seen in a video restraining a screaming man during his arrest used “reasonable force” against him, police say. In a viral video that was posted on Facebook Wednesday evening, Mission police officers were seen punching a man-Miguel Angel Garza Jr.-and kneeling on him outside a restaurant on the 2400 block of East Interstate…

Hidalgo County passed the 4,000 mark in positive cases the same day three residents died due to complications related to COVID-19. The county reported the deaths in a Wednesday news release. The victims a McAllen man in his 40s, a San Juan male in his 50s and a male in his 70s from Mission,  all…

11 people died from COVID-19 related complications Tuesday, the largest amount of new deaths in the county since the pandemic started, officials reported. 440 more cases of the virus were also reported by the county Tuesday, bringing the total number of positive cases to 3,982. The 11 deaths came from citizens from Edinburg, Donna, San Juan, McAllen,…

To ensure hospital bed availability in Texas counties that have seen a surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations, state Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Tuesday suspending elective surgeries at hospitals in Cameron, Hidalgo, Nueces, and Webb counties. The proclamation amends the Governor’s previous Executive Order to include these four counties in addition to Bexar, Dallas, Harris,…

The county’s leading health authority has tested positive for COVID-19. Hidalgo County confirmed in a Tuesday news release that Dr. Ivan Melendez, the Hidalgo County Health Authority, has tested positive for COVID-19. The county’s chief medical advisor learned of his test results Monday morning after being called away from a press conference involving Hidalgo County…

The number of COVID-19 related fatalities in Hidalgo County rose to 35 after the county reported three more deaths Monday. The deaths came from three individuals, a Weslaco man in his 30s and two McAllen individuals-a man and woman in their 70s and 80s-all had underlying medical conditions according to a news release from the…

A Weslaco man in his 30s with underlying medical conditions became the latest individual to pass away from COVID-19 over the weekend. The man’s death came during  a period of time where Hidalgo County Health officials saw 402 new positive cases of the virus, bringing the total number of known positive cases has now surpassed…