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Hidalgo County
leadership in the time of covid HIDALGO COUNTY Is this the new NORMAL?
As of the first day of November in this, one of the most challenging years in memory, Hidalgo County will have been operating under a state of maximum emergency readiness for 225 days. In those seven months and eleven days, county leaders and county residents have learned a lot about community, resilience – and resolve.
“I am so proud of so many of the residents of Hidalgo County,” declared Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez. “We began educating the people of Hidalgo County about all that we knew of this new and deadly disease beginning in early March. And more and more people in the county began to respond. To those who complied with these safety measures: we thank you. And for who chose not to comply: it’s still not too late. This is the definition of community: neighbors looking out for neighbors.”
Article By: Carlos Sanchez Photography: Cliff Ranson
takeaways we have learned during the coronavirus pandemic
But after nearly a year of living under extraordinary conditions, what have we learned about ourselves? And what is next for us?
1. HIDALGO COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE
MORE ENGAGED THAN WE THINK
On a daily basis during this crisis, Hidalgo County’s Division of Emergency Management and Hidalgo County’s Health and Human Services Department have kept track of many barometers that have measured the impact of COVID-19 locally. One of those statistics includes the number of telephone calls that the county’s emergency call center has received since Judge Cortez declared a local health emergency on March 21. County officials have taken more than 60,000 calls from residents seeking direction, asking for clarification and, in many cases, asking for permission. By far, most of the calls have been medical inquiries, a sign that residents are committed to fighting this disease.
2. THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HAS SHOWN ITS METTLE
Throughout this pandemic, one of the biggest worries that health experts and emergency management officials have had throughout the country is a community’s ability to handle the medical challenges of COVID-19. As New York City demonstrated as early as April, no community, no matter how large, was immune to have its hospitals and medical providers overwhelmed by the spread of this virus. Indeed, the month of July challenged the medical infrastructure of Hidalgo County as it has never been challenged before. But with the help of state and federal officials, we rode out the storm of new patients by having all the major hospital groups work together with county officials to treat those in need. 3. OUR KIDS MATTER
In another demonstration of the ingenuity of Hidalgo County, a remarkable supply line of meals for school age children was engineered in a matter of weeks after schools were shut down on the heels of spring break. In a critical reminder of the services provided by our school districts, both public and private, the closing of schools immediately translated into the loss of meals that schools generally provide to our neediest of school children. But instead of abrogating that responsibility when schools shut down, district after local district came up with creative plans to not only continue to prepare meals for school children who were sheltered at home, but of ways to distribute the food in a manner that was safe to both children and school officials. By the end of the summer, it was estimated that school children in Hidalgo County were fed millions of meals while protecting everyone from the invisible virus.
4. GOVERNMENT
COOPERATION MATTERS
Perhaps one of the least known facts about Hidalgo County is that it is composed of twenty-two independent municipalities, many surrounded by huge swaths of unincorporated rural areas. And while Hidalgo County had a good working relationship with the state at the outbreak of this pandemic, it was demonstrated time after time this year that the cooperation of the municipalities had real impact. In the spring of 2020, the municipalities met weekly with county officials and were generally on the same page. It is no coincidence, many health experts feel, that the spread of the infection was relatively slow during this period. Sure, there were disagreements over the course of the year, but it was those moments when the municipalities were in agreement with the county and each other that there were discernable impacts on the spread of the virus.
5. THERE’S GOT TO BE A MORNING AFTER
Even during what seemed like the darkest days of the pandemic, county leaders always remained mindful of recovery – the days when the threat of this pandemic would subside and life would take on the semblance of yesteryear. Recent computer modeling across the country and locally suggests we should anticipate another rise in the number of COVID-19 cases toward the end of the year. Hidalgo County is preparing for that rise with the hope that we never see it happen. “One way to help prevent any rise in cases is to realize the danger is still out there,” Judge Cortez said the day after signing amended orders prohibiting door-to-door Halloween events as well as issuing recommendations for celebrating popular end-of-year holidays such as Dia de los Muertos, Thanksgiving and Christmas. “We must continue to wear facial coverings to protect those we love and we must avoid large crowds to protect ourselves.”
At the county level, this manifested itself into such programs as the Small Business Grant Program; The Hidalgo County COVID-19 Mortgage and Rent Relief Program; and the COVID Condolence Program – all outlined in a website aimed at looking beyond the current crisis aptly called:
