LAREDO, Texas – The City of Laredo and Webb County have confirmed the second death in Laredo related to COVID-19.
A female in her late 60s who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 as a close contact to another positive person, and who had an underlying health condition, was being treated in intensive care at Laredo Medical Center when she succumbed to the disease late Monday, health officials have confirmed.
Health officials said that as of 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 267 people have been tested in Webb County. Of these tests, 127 came back negative, 37 came back positive, and 103 are pending.
“Five people have recovered from the virus, 11 remain in the hospital, and two have passed away,” Laredo Public Health stated.
The City of Laredo and Webb County have expressed their condolences to the family of the latest victim. They say counselors are available to help.
“We are sad to confirm that another patient has died from COVID-19,” the health department stated. “We appreciate the valiant work done by our caregiving team and we extend our deepest sympathies to the patient’s family and loved ones. It is vitally important for all members of our community to practice hand hygiene and social distancing which are the best ways at this moment to slow the spread of the virus.”
Laredo’s public health director is Dr. Hector Gonzalez. Gonzalez said his department is conducting contact investigation on persons who have tested positive to determine possible exposure to others.
“If the health department has not contacted you there is no need to take any action at this time. However, if someone is sick they need to stay home,” the health department stated.
“In households with a positive person, there should only be one dedicated caregiver. Other family members must stay apart and practice good hygiene and social distancing.”
The health department said the positive person should be in a dedicated room and wear a mask. They said the positive person should not gather with other family members.
“The caregiver should also wear a mask when providing care. This is extremely important as evidence points to strong clustering among positive persons. Stay home if you are sick and call your doctor. Do not go to the office, call your doctor first. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1.”
In order to safeguard legally-protected information, the City of Laredo is not publicly releasing personal or identifiable information regarding any cases as it relates to COVID-19 testing, results or monitoring.
