In early March 2020, concerns over the coronavirus in Texas were beginning to stir. Soon, major events were canceled and health officials were warning of COVID-19 and relating how to mitigate the spread of the disease.
In late March in West Texas, the region saw one of its first confirmed cases and death in the city of Midland. A month later, the city's first coronavirus outbreak would happen at a nursing home facility, leading to dozens of cases and several deaths.
At the same time, hours south from Midland, in Texas' Big Bend region, local health officials were expressing concern over the diseases' potential impact on an area with only one 25-bed hospital, which serves a region of over 16,000.
The continuing coverage submission for Marfa Public Radio explores the pandemic and its specific impact on local communities in West Texas.