Two additional coronavirus-related deaths and 138 new positive cases of the virus were announced across the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday. Hidalgo and Starr counties reported the largest single day totals since the start of the pandemic.

This after the four County Judges from across the Rio Grande Valley came together in a rare but unified message to urge the public to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"What we want to strongly convey to you today is that you don’t need for us to tell you what to do," said Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez, flanked by the county judges of Cameron, Starr and Willacy counties. "You know what to do. You can and should be part of the solution. We don’t need to order restrictions. We simply need you to continue to engage in the practices that we know works: shelter at home; avoid mass gatherings; facial coverings; physical distancing, avoiding travel; and good hygiene."

Hidalgo County announced 70 residents tested positive for the virus. The total number of known cases in the county to 912, according to a news release from the county.

Of the overall total 912 confirmed cases, 494 have been released from isolation in Hidalgo County.

In Starr County, 23 new COVID-19 cases were announced on Thursday, among the new cases was a 4-month-old infant, according to Dr. Jose Vazquez, the county’s health authority.

The new patients in Starr County include nine males and 14 females. Dr. Vazquez says of the overall total of 94 confirmed cases in the county, 32 have recovered, 61 reported active cases and one reported death related to the virus.

Willacy County reported on Thursday four more people tested positive for COVID-19, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 52.

According to a news release from the Texas Department of State Health Services, the new cases involve a man in his 40s, a woman in her 20s, a man in his 60s and a male in their teens.

Cameron County announced on Thursday two additional deaths related to the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to 44.

According to a Cameron County news release, the patients who died were a 100-year-old female and 59-year-old male from Brownsville.

Additionally, Cameron County announced that 41 more people had tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,031.

The new cases involve 29 residents from Brownsville, six from Harlingen, two from Santa Rosa and individuals from Los Fresnos, Olmito, Rio Hondo and San Benito.

Also additional 18 people have recovered. Of the 1,031 Cameron County residents who tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, 704 have recovered.

____

Correction: Starr County corrected the age of the infant who tested positive for the coronavirus.