Post by sagobob on Jul 28, 2020 15:28:12 GMT -8
And as usual the poor and chronically ill suffer the worst.
"Death and despair in the Rio Grande Valley
" (From the 07/28/20 NYT Corona Virus Report)
"With more than 403,000 confirmed cases and 6,300 deaths, Texas has one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the United States.
Within Texas, the Rio Grande Valley is one of the state’s most affected regions, where poverty and chronic underlying health conditions helped the virus gain a foothold. More than 90 percent of the area’s population is Latino, a group that has been disproportionately affected by the virus, and many residents are undocumented. Over the past month, a surge of cases has left hospitals and, now, funeral homes overwhelmed.
Edgar Sandoval, a Times reporter who once lived in the Rio Grande Valley, has returned home to report on the crisis. He spent most of last week at Salinas Funeral Home in Elsa, following its director, Johnny Salinas Jr., who played the role of both funeral director and mourning relative when his great-uncle died of Covid-19. 'He was planning funerals for other people and then his own family experienced a loss, so that’s why I was drawn to him,' said Edgar, whose family was also hit hard by the virus.
Many funeral homes in the area have had to shorten viewing times and limit attendance. Some have even ordered refrigerated trucks to store the backlog of bodies. Mr. Salinas now holds as many funerals in a day as he once did in a week.
"
"Death and despair in the Rio Grande Valley
" (From the 07/28/20 NYT Corona Virus Report)
"With more than 403,000 confirmed cases and 6,300 deaths, Texas has one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the United States.
Within Texas, the Rio Grande Valley is one of the state’s most affected regions, where poverty and chronic underlying health conditions helped the virus gain a foothold. More than 90 percent of the area’s population is Latino, a group that has been disproportionately affected by the virus, and many residents are undocumented. Over the past month, a surge of cases has left hospitals and, now, funeral homes overwhelmed.
Edgar Sandoval, a Times reporter who once lived in the Rio Grande Valley, has returned home to report on the crisis. He spent most of last week at Salinas Funeral Home in Elsa, following its director, Johnny Salinas Jr., who played the role of both funeral director and mourning relative when his great-uncle died of Covid-19. 'He was planning funerals for other people and then his own family experienced a loss, so that’s why I was drawn to him,' said Edgar, whose family was also hit hard by the virus.
Many funeral homes in the area have had to shorten viewing times and limit attendance. Some have even ordered refrigerated trucks to store the backlog of bodies. Mr. Salinas now holds as many funerals in a day as he once did in a week.
"