Chihuahua State Has Plans to Rent out Hotels to Quarantine Positive Coronavirus Victims

New Mexico Health Care Workers Complain They Will Not be Tested Unless Showing Symptoms

Paso del Norte Health Foundation Announces New Region-Wide Coronavirus Information Hub

Chihuahua:  NorteDigital reported this afternoon that officials in the state Department of Health of Chihuahua have been meeting with representative of the private sector to consider rental of hotel rooms in local establishments, should a massive spike in cases occur.  Such a move would be efficient, since it would at once isolate persons who have tested positive and provide space for those needing hospitalization.  In New York Governor Cuomo is planning to rent hotel space for those sick enough to need hospitalization

New Mexico:  NM In Depth reports Albuquerque health care workers are complaining authorities are not allowing them to be tested for the coronavirus unless they are already showing symptoms, and in some cases not providing enough safe protective equipment.  An Albuquerque emergency room nurse complained "...We are being given equipment but [are] asked to reuse it in an unsafe manner. I get it but we should have been prepared as an organization, as a state, as a nation.”  David Morgan, spokesperson for the Department of Health said this about testing, according to NM in Depth:  "We are trying to avoid shortages, that’s why we’re limiting testing currently to those with symptoms,”

El Paso:   And excellent place for updates on the coronavirus situation in El Paso is the El Paso Herald-Post (click here)  It is the single best source I have been able to find.  In today's news the Herald-Post announced the Paso del Norte Health Foundation would create an information hub, presumably dealing with the entire region.  The URL for this is http://www.epcovid19.org/. However, it did not appear to contain much factual information about the region as a whole.

Uncovered Cases of Coronavirus in the Region:

El Paso:                                                                       21
New Mexico:  (as of early morning)                         100
Chihuahua:  (as of yesterday)                                       6
Texas                                                                         714
Juarez                                                                            4
Las Cruces                                                                    6
Dona Ana County                                                        13
Mexico                                                                      405
US                                                                         61.000+

The low numbers in Mexico may simply indicate that testing has not been as extensive as it has in the US.  New York has done by far the most testing in the US, over half of all tests, finding 17,856 cases as of this afternoon, and rising quickly.  The low numbers in El Paso, as in Juarez, may indicate that testing has not been as extensive as it has been in New Mexico.  El Paso has 4 times the population of Dona Ana county, but less than twice the number of discovered cases.  It should be noted that in Dona Ana county testing has been limited.