EDDIE'S PATIENCE WEARING THIN UNDER COVID-19 STRAIN

"Each of you has to do your part...You all couldn't handle not going to a party or remember at least to wear your damn mask," Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño during last COVID-19 press conference.

At a town hall style meeting aimed at answering questions as to why their homes were flooded for weeks following June’s heavy rainfall, but ended in a tirade from County Judge Eddie Trevino asking, “do you want help or do you want to bitch?” Santa Rosa, June 2019. 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

As the post-holiday surge in COVID-19 infections rises as predicted, it is obvious that it is also taking a toll on the nerves and patience of local elected officials and health professionals.

Sounding very much like an exasperated mom whose kids didn't want to eat their vegetables, Treviño said the levels of hospitalizations that saw seven consecutive days with over 15 percent positive results in testing, triggered an order from the governor to close all bars not serving food and to limit the capacity to of restaurants to 50 percent.

Just this Wednesday,  an additional 10 more Cameron County residents died from COVID-19 related causes, the county health department reported. Hospitalizations continue to plague local hospital ICU rooms, a measure that triggers higher enforcement steps from the state, the county, and municipalities.

This raises the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 1,249, Cameron County Public Health said in a statement.

The new cases include 16 children ages 9 and under, and 40 people ages 10 to 19. Six residents ages 80 to 89 were also reported.

Also on Wednesday, state officials warned the COVID-19 pandemic is at its worst as Texas now reports an average of more than 300 new deaths a day.

Treviño ordered the new bar closures and reduced capacity at restaurants effective two days after New Year's. The bar closures will remain in effect until February 5, according to the latest amended county order.

CNN News recently reported that South Texas is the hottest area for the virus again. 

In Brownsville, on January 20, emergency rooms at local hospitals were reported full. 

But others say that while Hidalgo and Starr counties closed the bars since last Fall, bars in Brownsville and South Padre Island in Cameron County remained open until the latest amended order. During the press conference 

"The judge blames the people from here that it's our damn fault when it's his damn fault every bar and disco and bar restaurant was packed for New Year's Eve till 2 o'clock in the morning and they were aware of it because I called other people called to tell them that they were advertising that they were going to open up till two the only bars in South Texas open on New Year's Eve," said a local barrio activist.

"Thank you county judge for killing us," he said. "Where are the county commissioners? The little Trump blames the citizens of Cameron county but he knew exactly what was gonna happen. His emergency management team was called and told about the bars. They blame it on the governor when the governor made it very clear it was up to each county if they wanted to open bars. It is a county judges fault the people that are dying now."

Meanwhile, county and city health officials say the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has started and – with a few bumps – some 6,000 doses have been distributed in three sites around the county. 

Some people were upset when the the City of Brownsville, with little advance notice, begin giving out vouchers. This led to people waiting for the vaccine at the Brownsville Sports Park in the pre-dawn hours when others already had the vouchers.

"We know that there were some things we didn't anticipate," Treviño said. "Whatever we do it's not going to work perfectly. We have to be patient. That's why each one of us has to work on doing our part."