Sunday, August 30, 2020

PANDEMIC? WHAT PANDEMIC? LIFE'S A BEACH, FLEA MARKETS



Special to El Rrun-Rrun

When you talk to Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez and show him the packed flea market in Brownsville and wide-open bar life on South Padre Island Saturday night, he shakes his head and wonders whether all he's doing to spot the spread of COVID-19 virus in his county is being negated by his neighbors to the east.

There, residents are still under a shelter-at-home order, a 10 p.m. curfew, mandatory facial coverings, and limited to essential travel.

Over at Cameron, gatherings are supposed to be limited to 10 people, restaurants limited to 25 percent capacity and bars remain closed. If alcohol is sold, the business must sell at least 50 percent food sales.

But take a cruise over to SPI and you will see that everything remains open way past the 10 p.m. curfew, bars are packed, and parking is hard to find. It isn't until past midnight that traffic starts to leave and bars to empty. This is a curfew?

Where are these people from? They're not from SPI. They are from all over the valley. And since the bars are closed in McAllen and Brownsville, revelers make their way there to party and to mingle.

"What more can I do?" Cortez asked a friend from Brownsville. "The beaches in Cameron might as well be open if South Padre Island is allowed to be wide open. If anyone catches anything there, guess where it will end up at? Right here."

Cortez has been very busy lately. His county is averaging more than 550 positive cases in the last seven days. But he knows better than to trust the numbers. 

Early in the game the numbers lagged behind the reality, making it difficult to take any effective action. Testing results lagged days, sometimes weeks and at the beginning in Cameron County a full month. 

The fake numbers gave people a false sense of security, making them believe the hoaxers who said it was a phony crisis.

It wasn't until people starting dropping all around them and battling the virus for weeks and months in the hospital and at home plugged into the oxygen tanks to help their battered lungs along that reality started sinking in..

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 reported in July 22 was 137 and today both the state and Cameron County agree that there have been 746 confirmed virus deaths, an increase of 600 deaths over a one-month period.

The numbers of active cases shown in state stats indicate that in a one-month period from the beginning of July to August, the numbers of active cases in Cameron County zoomed from a little over 6,000 to 20,853 August 29. 

And yet, the party goes on until past midnight at SPI and the pickers are crowded around the booths at the flea market looking for a good deal.

Pandemic? What pandemic? Let the party go on and dame una libra de tomate!

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Por eso estamos como estamos! Bola de locos y Trump tambien.

Anonymous said...

So what you are saying is that lockdown s and face mask mmandates don't work?

Also you forget to mention that testing increased by 10 times, also that the 7 day average for deaths, cases and hospitalization has decreased by 50%. Over 10000 hospital locations a month ago down to 4000 right now. Yesterday Cameron had 115 cases.

So in other words you like to spread fear and hysteria , for what purpose i can't figure out??

Anonymous said...

Let the people exercise personal responsibility, if they choose to go out let them. Me? I'm scared and will not leave the house until all disease is eradicated. And whatever you do keep schools closed, my kid doesnt need exercise or a proper education.

Anonymous said...

YOU FORGOT. TO ADD. THE. 777 BINGO. THAT IS OPEN TOO
DUMBASS RRUN RUN

Anonymous said...

Eddie Panocha Trevino says that if you get infected and die.... it’s on you, not him. Fuck you Eddie Treviño. It’s on you for not following real leadership like Richard Cortez.

Anonymous said...

Take a drive up the valley and check the parking lots of their flea markets. They’re jammed packed. The one in Alamo is open all week too. Plus they’ve been open for months. So take care of your county before you try to blame others for your problems. Cortez has no room to talk. He’s like Trevino, he just wants to be on TV. Neither one of them do anything for the people all year.

Former RGV LEO said...

That' right Montoya!!! The sun is good for you!!!

Anonymous said...

The people in power on South Padre Island have made the decision to sacrifice the rest of us for their financial well being. They are willing to put the minimum wage employees at risk of Covid infection. They know they and their family are pretty safe because the serverss and busboys/girls and hotel help can't afford to live on the Island. They wont be exposing them or their families to the disease and the visitors will be leaving the Island, too. So what to worry about? Let the cities where the visitors live take the virus hit. I will remember but most people won't and they will happily give the Island merchants their money even though these same merchants are willing to expose them to a potentially deadly virus.

Anonymous said...

What do you expect. You have Erasmo Castro telling people on his show that he is a Trump supporter and not to listen to fake news. The guy doesn’t even have a job and doesn’t pay taxes and he supports Trump who says the pandemic is a hoax. He is causing deaths with his rhetoric. It’s dangerous and his followers fall for it. He is to reckless to be on the board AGAIN. He proved he can’t handle it ! He let his supporters down by resigning and running for the hills in embarrassment . He was guilty and is still awaiting sentence. If he wins then has to go to jail it would be another embarrassment.

Anonymous said...

De facto Herd Immunity.


Anonymous said...

I feel for those young souls that can’t escape the misery of home. That home where mom and dad don’t care or bat an arm trying to feed them. The feeling of being wanted hanging with friends laughing and joking. Teachers teaching and doing what they do so eloquently. Maybe that one child will get the teacher says and that’s why I do it. Oh I cry for those young soles that have it so bad at home. I know your feeling and one day you will get it, that one teacher will ring your bell. I know it did for me and it will for you.

Anonymous said...

The hoaxers??? No seas pendejo Montoya! There no real deadly virus! The government knows, that why there's no rush to send us a second check to the American people!!! The hospital are playing dumb and making money for each COVID-19 patient!!! The testing is made to come out false positives to inflate the fake infections list. All you pendejos believing the government deserve the coming soon COVID-19 vaccine, enjoy your vaccine all you pendejos!!!

Anonymous said...

The Few, the Proud, the White: The Marine Corps Balks at Promoting Generals of Color
oooora fake?

Anonymous said...

El Paya Jerry, still pro-Trump. He wrote this on his blog - "You loot and we shoot," says Trump as another white cop pumps seven bullets into yet another black man.

Anonymous said...

El Jerry - "Am I purging this platform of Republican speakers? Of course not."


Anonymous said...

Teacher to parents and students: We’re here with you

Shouldn't it be we're here for you? that's why YOU get a salary!

Anonymous said...

Idiotas

Anonymous said...

It has to come out from the elected officials NOT US.
THE BALL-LESS OFFICIALS WON'T DO ANYTHING AND ARE AFRAID TO HURT GRINGO FEELINGS WHILE PEOPLE DIE THEY COUNT THEIR MONEY!!!

VOTE EVERYBODY OUT!!!

Anonymous said...

Another reason why Mexicans will never rule the world. We are our own worse enemies.

Anonymous said...

Yipee we're all gonna die...

Anonymous said...

Isn't the pope hispanic idiota at 12:43pm

Anonymous said...

You know whats ridiculous
That people are still allowed to come yo downtown to donate plasma from mejico

Anonymous said...

@8:06 It's spelled "México" pinche pendejo mutt!!!

Anonymous said...

Jeeze, the Pope is not a Mexican.

Anonymous said...

Hillbilly Island new name for SPI bring in the possums and squirrels and have a BBQ party pendejo cocos...

Anonymous said...

Is there a gringo cat fight here on this blog?

Anonymous said...

September 1, 2020 at 11:02 AM

I D I O T A!

Anonymous said...

Yall comolain aboutvthat litty bitty island
But truth is international travers frim all countries are still flying in daily to our big cities
This virus was spread by the privilaged eliteist and rich we poor people are just collateral

Anonymous said...


September 1, 2020 at 11:02 AM

@8:06 It's spelled "México" pinche pendejo mutt!!!

A stupid hillbilly knows how to spell mejico??? UNBELIEVABLE. I D I O T A!








Anonymous said...

@9:11 Go back to school idiota! Pinche mojado can't spell Mexico! Ya se cree gringo el baboso ! Hahahahahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

Its NOW called HILLBILLY ISLAND. La isla de los idiotas.

Anonymous said...

Half coco mutt island!!! Mojados que se crean gringos!

Anonymous said...

Virus Island

Anonymous said...

Biden's Island!!! Where all the viejitos lovers gather! Like Half coco mutt!!!

rita