As we head into the 4th of July holiday weekend, local doctors are reminding the public that Covid is not gone.

The number of positive cases in hospitals throughout Hidalgo County hit record highs for the first time in months. On Friday, the county reported 996 new cases and 127 Covid-related hospitalizations.

“Twelve percent of our beds right now in the hospital are people with Covid, a dramatic increase,” Hidalgo County Health Authority Dr. Ivan Melendez said. “We can't deny that Covid is highly active in our community. We noticed that our numbers increased from the 70s to the 120s, of course that's an alarm.”

Early data shows that the majority of people that are in the hospital with Covid are either unvaccinated or did not receive their booster.

Melendez said he expects the number of hospitalizations to increase after the holiday weekend.

“There is record numbers of people traveling,” Melendez said. “There is record numbers of people moving about, there are record numbers of people not wearing masks and not getting vaccinated. And there are record numbers of incidents and people in the hospital; we actually expect numbers to increase.”

Melendez recommended high risk groups avoid large gatherings and for the public to practice Covid precautions.

“I understand we need to reclaim our lives. But if you don’t have to go, don’t go,” Melendez said. “If you have to be there, wear a mask, stay outside, be ventilated, be vaccinated, keep distance as much as you possibly can and proceed with caution.”