Young people in the Rio Grande Valley make up the majority of positive COVID-19 cases, according to state health officials. 

Experts say positive infections continue to rise among young adults as vaccination rates in the group leave much to be desired. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 712 new cases of COVID-19 over the last seven days. 

Regional Health Emergency Response Manager Elizabeth Cuevas said the previous seven-day increase was 797, adding that over the past few weeks, they've seen "a general trend that's stabilizing."

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People under the age of 60 made up more than 80% of positive cases last week, while 54% are individuals under 40, a trend similar to last summer's surge in the Valley. 

"We've done phenomenal work in our elderly populations— in the 65-79 and even in the above 50," Cuevas said. "We've still got work to do in the 12 [through] 15-year-old population and the 16 to 49."

While state health officials continue to vaccinate areas without county health departments, they say creativity will be necessary to get shots in younger arms. 

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"We're trying to do that in new and different ways— like through the Shots for Shots campaign," Cuevas said. "We have to keep sharing the importance of vaccination and the importance of non-pharmaceutical intervention."