Texas county orders COVID-19 positive residents to stay home or face prosecution

Residents in a Texas county who have tested positive for the coronavirus could face criminal prosecution if they don't stay home.

After seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Rio Grande Valley, Hidalgo County is ordering anyone who has tested positive to stay home.

On Sunday alone, the county reported 17 new coronavirus-related deaths and 1,300 new cases.

SEE ALSO: Texas county says it'll arrest COVID-19 positive residents who don't quarantine

The order comes as an attempt to help slow down the virus as the increase in cases is overwhelming the medical systems.

According to local health officials, some patients are waiting up to 10 hours for an examination because resources are so thin.

The order is not just for residents who have tested positive, but it also applies to those who live with someone who tested positive.

The Rio Grande Valley has become a COVID-19 hot spot, but help is on its way. According to Gov. Greg Abbott's office, five U.S. Navy teams were deployed to four different locations: Harlingen, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Rio Grande City.

SEE ALSO: 5 U.S. Navy teams deploy to Texas coronavirus hot spots

Each team is made up of medical and support professionals to help meet the need in hospitals.