BY Joanna Guzman
KVEO 23
MCALLEN, Texas – A local nurse practitioner wants Governor Greg Abbott to shut down the Rio Grande Valley. She said she is feeling hopeless with the number of patients and nurses falling ill.
Her frustration comes from the number of patients coming into her clinic every day.
“For those of us that are front line, we are getting infected we’re dying. My colleagues and I are exhausted,” said Nurse Practitioner April Lopez.![]()
Lopez said she treats about 40 patients with COVID related illnesses daily. She emphasized the shortage of providers the Valley has to treat people and keep them out of hospitals.
(As of July 9, there are a total of 11,767 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley. There are 212 reported deaths related to COVID-19 in the RGV and 5,389 recoveries.
Cameron County announced its first case of COVID-19 on March 19. Hidalgo County’s first case was confirmed on March 21. Willacy County’s first case was confirmed on March 26. Starr County’s first case was confirmed March 26.)
For nurse practitioner Lopez, shutting down the RGV again is the only way to save lives.
“This is my nurse practitioner heart not wanting to see my colleagues infected. As we are in the front line trying to save your lives. While you’re being stubborn going to the beach, having your Carne asadas and when you’re half dead you’re begging for help,” said Lopez.
She believes gyms are huge contributors to the spike in cases.
“If you’re going to the gyms, if you’re teaching Zumba right now or you’re training people… you are helping us kill people here in the Valley,” she added.
Lopez believes the number of positive cases in the Rio Grande Valley are way higher than what charts show because there is people who are too afraid to go out and get tested.
“You’re seeing the positive tested. You’re not seeing the patients that are home suffering feeling like their bones are breaking into powder everyday not knowing if they’re going to survive. You’re not seeing the patients that are still home sick, the patients that can’t afford testing,” she said.
https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/shut-the-valley-down-again-nurse-practitioner-urges-gov-abbott/
Her frustration comes from the number of patients coming into her clinic every day.
“For those of us that are front line, we are getting infected we’re dying. My colleagues and I are exhausted,” said Nurse Practitioner April Lopez.
Lopez said she treats about 40 patients with COVID related illnesses daily. She emphasized the shortage of providers the Valley has to treat people and keep them out of hospitals.
(As of July 9, there are a total of 11,767 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley. There are 212 reported deaths related to COVID-19 in the RGV and 5,389 recoveries.
Cameron County announced its first case of COVID-19 on March 19. Hidalgo County’s first case was confirmed on March 21. Willacy County’s first case was confirmed on March 26. Starr County’s first case was confirmed March 26.)
For nurse practitioner Lopez, shutting down the RGV again is the only way to save lives.
“This is my nurse practitioner heart not wanting to see my colleagues infected. As we are in the front line trying to save your lives. While you’re being stubborn going to the beach, having your Carne asadas and when you’re half dead you’re begging for help,” said Lopez.
She believes gyms are huge contributors to the spike in cases.
“If you’re going to the gyms, if you’re teaching Zumba right now or you’re training people… you are helping us kill people here in the Valley,” she added.
Lopez believes the number of positive cases in the Rio Grande Valley are way higher than what charts show because there is people who are too afraid to go out and get tested.
“You’re seeing the positive tested. You’re not seeing the patients that are home suffering feeling like their bones are breaking into powder everyday not knowing if they’re going to survive. You’re not seeing the patients that are still home sick, the patients that can’t afford testing,” she said.
https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/shut-the-valley-down-again-nurse-practitioner-urges-gov-abbott/