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Saturday, Dec. 19
1,876 New Cases In Tarrant County
Tarrant County added over 1,800 cases to it's cumulative total today. There have been 130,137 cases countywide, including 1,084 deaths.
Dallas County Reports 8 More Deaths Over 1,700 New Cases
Dallas County is reporting 1,723 positive cases today, of which 1,376 are confirmed. There is a cumulative total of 153,823 confirmed cases countywide, including 1,431 deaths.
“Our number of average cases per day is slightly down this week and our number of reported deaths this week is down to 56," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement. "For the third time this week, we’re also reporting a new record of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Dallas County."
The county is also reporting eight additional deaths today, all the individuals had underlying high-risk health conditions:
- From Dallas: a man in his 50s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s
- A Garland man in his 50s
- A Grand Prairie man in his 70s
- An Irving man in his 70s
- A Cedar Hill man in his 90s
Collin County Reports 391 New Cases
There's been a cumulative total of 35,873 COVID-19 cases in Collin County, including 323 deaths.
479 New Cases In Denton County
The over 400 new cases today brings Denton County's cumulative total to 34,301, including 183 deaths.
The county will offer free drive-through COVID-19 testing Tuesday at University of North Texas Discovery Park starting at 8 a.m. Any Denton County resident who hasn't not previously tested positive is eligible for testing. You must pre-register by calling 940-349-2585.
Friday, Dec. 18
Poll Shows More Than 60% Of Texans Plan To Get Vaccine
Poll results yesterday from the Episcopal Health Foundation found 63% of Texans are likely to get the coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available to them.
That's up slightly from the foundation's last survey in September.
Since then, there's been a significant increase in the willingness of Black adults to get vaccinated.
Elena Marks, the foundation’s president and CEO, said 49% of Black respondents responded favorably in the September survey.
"That grew to 59% of Black respondents who said they were somewhat or very likely to get the vaccine and that's probably a large reason the overall percentage of people who are more likely to get the vaccine grew between September and December,” she said.
The survey showed 66% of Hispanic adults and 62% of white adults said they were very or somewhat likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dallas County Reports Record Hospitalizations For 2nd Time this Week
Twice this week Dallas County has seen record high hospitalizations. There were 867 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Thursday, nearly 30 more than the county's previous high of 838 two days ago.
The county is also reporting 2,248 new cases today, of which 1,938 are confirmed. There has been a cumulative total of 152,447 cases in Dallas County, including 1,423 deaths related to the disease.
“Today marks our second highest total of new COVID positive cases and 10 more deaths to report here in Dallas County, Clay Jenkins, Dallas County judge said in a statement. "The increasing number of hospitalizations and COVID rate of infection here in North Texas is very concerning."
The 10 deaths reported in the county today are described as:
- An Irving woman in her 40s
- A Garland man in his 60s
- From Dallas, a man in his 50s and one in his 80s
- From Grand Prairie, a woman in her 60s and one in her 70s
- Two women from Mesquite, one in her 60s and one in her 70s
- A Richardson woman in her 80s
- A Duncanville man in his 90s
All had underlying high-risk health conditions.
16 More Deaths and 2,016 New Cases In Tarrant County
There are 2,016 new cases in Tarrant County today and 16 more COVID-19 deaths.
The cumulative total of cases countywide is now 128,261, including 1,071 deaths.
The deaths reported today are described as:
- A Bedford woman in her 80s
- From Benbrook, an woman in her 60s and a man in his 80s
- A Sansom Park man in his 80s
- A Keller woman in her 80s
- A Fort Worth man in his 80s
- A Westworth Village man in his 80s
- A Euless man in his 70s, and one in his 80s
- Two men from Arlington in their 70s
- A Crowley man in his 70s
- A Hurst man in his 60s
- An Arlington woman in her 60s
- A Blue Mound woman in her 60s
- A man from Fort Worth in his 60s
All but three had underlying health conditions.
702 New Cases & 3 More Deaths In Denton County
Denton County is reporting 702 new COVID-19 cases today and three additional deaths.
The deaths reported are described as a woman and man both in their 70s and from Denton, and a woman in her 60s who lived at Longmeadow Healthcare Center in Justin.
This brings the cumulative total of cases countywide to 33,822; including 183 deaths due to COVID-19.
Rice University Study Shows COVID Restrictions And Death Rate Are Correlated
A new Rice University report shows states with fewer COVID-19 restrictions saw more coronavirus deaths than the states which locked down.
The analysis found that over several months, a state’s openness - or the level of COVID-19 limitations on the public - is directly correlated with COVID death rates.
The study follows a request by the White House Coronavirus Task Force to enforce more coronavirus restrictions to keep people safe during the holiday spike in cases.
Thursday, Dec. 17
UT Southwestern Projects 20% Increase In Tarrant County Hospitalizations
UT Southwestern Medical Center predicts that Tarrant County could see a 20% jump in new COVID-19 hospitalizations by next week. Dallas County’s hospitalizations are expected to stay at their current high levels, but flat.
The model also predicts upwards of 2,400 new daily cases of COVID-19 in Tarrant County – and 1,400 daily cases in Dallas County.
The UT Southwestern report says the spread of infection is not uniform across North Texas, and that the trajectories have diverged for Dallas and Tarrant Counties.
Hospitalizations have exceeded their late July peak, and both counties are expected to see a continued increase in COVID-related ICU hospitalizations.
Over 1,300 New Cases & 10 More Deaths In Dallas County
Dallas County has 1,382 additional positive cases, 976 are confirmed and 406 are probable. There is a cumulative total of 150,509 cases, including 1,413 deaths.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said there is "light at the end of the tunnel" with vaccines happening, but urged the community to keep taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus.
"As the holidays approach, now is the time to remember the adage ‘an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure,’" Jenkins said in a statement. "Thinking ahead on your holiday needs, whether it’s groceries or gifts, and ordering those online now so they’ll arrive on time, or ordering them for curbside pick-up, will lead to less crowds and less spread."
The county reported 10 additional deaths today:
- From Dallas: two women in their 60s, a man in his 70s, a man in his 90s and three men in their 80s
- A Desoto Woman in her 70s
- A Mesquite man in his 70s
- A Balch Springs woman in her 70s
All had underlying high-risk health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports Over 1,800 New Cases
There are 1,825 new cases being reported in Tarrant County today. The county's had a total of 126,245 cases and 1,055 residents have died from coronavirus-related illnesses.
8 More Deaths In Denton County — 6 Among Residents At One Senior Care Facility
In Denton County, COVID-19 has killed eight more residents and there are 837 new cases in the county today. Six of the deaths reported today are among residents of Brinker Denton SCC.
The deaths reported today are described as:
• Three women over 80, two men in their 70s and a woman in her 70s who lived at Brinker Denton SCC in Denton
• A Providence Village woman in her 70s
• A Frisco man in his 70s
This increases the cumulative, countywide case total to 33,121, including 180 deaths.
A Million Texans Will Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 By The End Of The Month, Abbott Says
Thousands of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are currently being distributed throughout the state, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday.
During a news conference at a UPS center in Austin, Abbott said Texas has already delivered 95,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. He said an additional 129,000 doses will be distributed on Thursday alone.
Texas, like other states, gets a weekly allotment of the vaccine. Abbott said those allotments are going to increase now that federal officials have also approved the Moderna vaccine.
"Next week when we have not just the Pfizer vaccine but the Moderna vaccine, that will allow us to [get] well over a million people ... vaccinated just in the state of Texas alone, just this month," he said.
About 110 hospitals across the state have gotten shipments of the vaccine. Frontline workers in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients are the first in line to be vaccinated.
Read the full story from KUT News.
Southwest Airlines continues to grapple with declining demand for flights because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Dallas-based carrier hopes to boost revenue with several new destinations.
Southwest is expanding service at a breakneck speed to fight slowing revenue gains during the holiday months.
The airline's announced 12 new destinations so far this year — and on Wednesday added Santa Barbara and Fresno in California to that list.
Southwest says its operating revenue took a hit last month due to a spike in COVID cases and renewed travel restrictions. It also saw a bump in trip cancellations in the weeks before Thanksgiving.
The airline expects weakened demand to continue at least through January.
Rio Grande Valley City Testing Vitamin D Levels To Help Employees Guard Against COVID
The City of Roma in the Rio Grande Valley is undertaking an initiative to test the vitamin D levels of city employees.
Roma physician, Dr. Raymond Mussett, said low levels of vitamin D could impair a person's ability to fight the coronavirus:
"We know that individuals that are affected severely as well as end up in hospitals on respirators and even dying, that their vitamin D levels seem to be very low," Mussett said."
The 'Get Started, Get Tested, Get Right' initiative involves taking blood samples from City of Roma employees to test for vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D levels are low among 70% of American Latinos and 80% of Black Americans are known to have low levels of Vitamin D. These are groups disproportionately affected by the virus.
Wednesday, Dec. 16
Dallas County Reports Record 2,438 New Cases
A record 2,438 cases were reported in the area, bringing the total to 149,533. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said with the “unprecedented high spread” of the virus in the region, people should avoid crowds this holiday season:
“With the unprecedented high spread we are experiencing, it is important that people plan ahead to avoid crowds. Holiday shopping for both food and gifts can be done online or over the phone with curbside or at-home delivery. Although this requires a little more planning, it will be well worth it in keeping you, your family, your community and ultimately your country a little bit stronger. Masking around anyone who you do not live with while in an indoor setting is also critical to protecting you and the community at large.”
Twelve deaths were reported today:
- A Garland man in his 40s.
- A Seagoville man in his 50s.
- A Dallas man in his 50s.
- A Dallas woman in her 60s.
- Two Dallas men in their 70s.
- A Richardson man in his 70s.
- A Cedar Hill man in his 70s.
- Four Dallas men in their 70s.
13 Deaths In Tarrant County
There have been 13 deaths in the area including: a Fort Worth woman in her 90s, a Benbrook woman in her 90s, a Bedford man in his 70s, two Fort Worth men in their 70s, a Euless man in his 70s, a Sansom Park man in his 70s, two Arlington men in their 70s, a Hurst woman in her 70s, two Fort Worth women in their 60s and a Grand Prairie man in his 50s. All had underlying health conditions.
Another 1,977 cases have been reported in the county, raising the total to 124,420.
Denton County Reports 5 Deaths, 698 New Cases
There are five deaths in the area, bringing the total to 172:
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of Brinker Denton Senior Care Center in Denton
- A Little Elm woman in her 40s
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of Brinker Denton Senior Care Center in Denton
- A Lewisville woman in her 40s
- A woman in her 70s who was resident of Brinker Denton Senior Care Center in Denton
Another 698 cases were reported in the area, increasing the total to 32,285.
655 New Cases In Collin County
An additional 655 cases in the area raises the total to 34,177. There are 309 total deaths in the county.
Vaccine Will Help To Ensure Hospital Staff Capacity, Says Fort Worth Public Health Officer
Healthcare workers in North Texas are the first group of people getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
At the beginning of the week, people hospitalized for COVID-19 made up 17% of all hospitalizations across much of North Texas.
That's a new high for the region.
And that number is important because if it stays over 15%, bars can't open and businesses have to limit their capacity.
Fort Worth public health officer Brandon Bennett says the arrival of a vaccine doesn't mean that number will get lower in the next few weeks. But he says the vaccine will help make sure hospitals have enough staff to treat patients.
"As their employees become vaccinated and less susceptible to being out on illness, they'll be able to add more capacity,” Bennett said.
The general public isn't getting the vaccine just yet. So officials are encouraging people to keep on wearing masks, washing their hands and social distancing.
Many Texas Nonprofits Among Those Getting MacKenzie Scott’s Money
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is giving $4.2 billion to organizations around the country, including many nonprofit organizations in Texas.
Among them are several Texas food banks, Goodwill affiliates, and Meals of Wheels programs.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas received $10 million from Scott. CEO Curt Hazelbaker said they can spend it any way they see fit.
“The two requirements as a part of receiving the funding are we can’t ask her for additional funds and they’d like an annual report once a year for the next three years with what we have accomplished,” he said.
Hazelbaker said they haven’t decided exactly how they’ll spend the money, but that it will be used as “look ahead” money for new initiatives or projects, and not to make up for revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s just a tremendous gift in a very difficult year,” he said. “To wrap the year [up] with something like this is just beyond words.”
In an article on Medium, Scott said her advisors did data analysis on where the money could be used to effectively address basic needs and also long-term systemic inequality. Two Texas universities that mainly educate students of color received donations in the tens of millions.
Scott is the former wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Texas Has $2 Billion In COVID Relief Funds Left To Spend. Advocacy Groups Are Anxiously Watching.
With only two weeks before the funding expires, Texas’ state government still hasn’t spent about a quarter of the $8 billion it received from the federal coronavirus relief bill.
In March, the U.S. Department of the Treasury assigned $11.24 billion to local and state governments in Texas. Almost a third of that went directly to cities and counties with more than 500,000 people, which have been quick to use it for a wide range of measures, from rent assistance programs to temperature checks at city offices. The state distributed $1.85 billion to smaller jurisdictions and has been distributing the remaining $8 billion through its health, education and emergency agencies, among others.
The funds can pay for expenses incurred only until Dec. 30, according to federal guidelines. Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said that it will use the money by that deadline but would not give details on how.
“Governor Abbott has worked closely with legislative leaders and state agencies to allocate $6 billion so far, including an estimated $1.6 billion for [the Department of State Health Services] and [Texas Division of Emergency Management] to fund the state’s response through the end of the year,” said Renae Eze, a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott, in a statement. “With $2 billion remaining of the original funding, the state will spend every dollar by the end of the year to ensure the health and well-being of all Texans.”
Read the full story by The Texas Tribune.
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Dallas County Reports 1,947 New Cases
There are 1,947 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 147,591. Of the cases reported today, 1,549 are confirmed and 398 are probable cases. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said today marks the first shipment of vaccines to Parkland Hospital. Still, he urged residents to wear their masks and socially distance.
Six deaths were reported today:
- A Dallas woman in her 40s.
- A Dallas man in his 50s.
- A Dallas man in his 50s.
- A Dallas woman in her 60s.
- A Dallas woman in her 70s.
- A Dallas woman in her 80s.
1,544 New Cases In Tarrant County
Another 1,544 cases raises the total to 122,443. There have been 1,026 deaths and 88,863 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.
Denton County Reports 2 Deaths, 863 New Cases
The county reported two deaths today: a Lewisville woman in her 60s and a Highland Village man over 80. There have also been 863 new cases, bringing the total to 31,587.
Researcher Warns Pfizer Vaccine Must Be Administered With Two Shots
The Pfizer and Bio-N-Tech vaccine is given in two shots, 21 days apart.
Researcher Dr. Robert Gottlieb with Baylor Scott and White says the first shot may provide emotional relief to front-line workers who get it today, but not full physical protection.
"You're not protected until your body mounts an immune response, which takes seven to 14 days,” he said. “And then you're boosting it with that second one to make it more lasting. You certainly don't want to take a mask down the first day after you get a vaccine because it's too early to be protected."
Gottlieb's currently researching a COVID-19 vaccine for Johnson & Johnson. He also led clinical trials for Baylor on the COVID treatment, Remdesivir.
Texas Health Resources Receives Over 5,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
In North Texas, Texas Health Resources received a 5,000-dose shipment of COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning.
CEO Barclay Berdan said hospital staffers who want to get the shot could begin doing so today.
"This is really a sea change time for us, although I have to caution we don't know over the next several months how much of the vaccine we'll be available, so it's not a time to let your guard down,” Berdan said.
Berdan said he's been assured Texas Health will get the required second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.
"Just because the vaccine is available doesn't mean it's safe right now to be ignoring those common preventive measures of wearing a mask, staying a safe distance from people, staying out of crowds and washing your hands to the greatest extent possible,” he said.
Eviction Moratorium Expires End Of December
The CDC moratorium halting evictions for tenants who have tried to get rental assistance expires at the end of the month.
Since September, the moratorium's limited evictions as coronavirus infections and unemployment remain high. But advocates told the Texas Tribune they worry the protections will end while many still struggle to make ends meet.
A U.S. Census Bureau survey showed more than 1.5 million households in Texas have little to no confidence they can pay next month’s rent.
People of color in Texas are disproportionately affected. Only 21% of Blacks and 14% of Hispanics say they have enough to pay rent.
Congress is working on a new stimulus bill that would extend the moratorium for another month, but it's unclear if there will be enough support for the measure to pass.
Monday, Dec. 14
Dallas County Reports 1,699 New Cases
There are 1,699 additional cases in the area: 1,519 are confirmed and 180 are probable cases. That makes a total of 146,042 cases. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said today is an exciting day because the first doses of the vaccine were administered, but he warned residents that the pandemic isn’t over:
“It is an exciting day for America and for Dallas County as the first COVID vaccines are being given today, but remember, as these 1,699 cases and six deaths illustrate, COVID is still with us. Last week was our deadliest week and we are currently at our highest daily average of new COVID cases that we have seen thus far in the pandemic.”
Six deaths were reported today, including:
- A Richardson woman in her 60s.
- Two Dallas women in their 60s.
- A Dallas man in his 70s.
- A Cedar Hill man in his 80s.
- A Garland man in his 90s.
22 New Deaths In Tarrant County
The area reported 22 new deaths: a Keller woman in her 90s, a Fort Worth woman in her 90s, a Sansom Park man and woman in their 80s, an Arlington woman in her 80s, a North Richland Hills woman in her 80s, a Saginaw woman in her 80s, two Fort Worth women in their 80s, two Euless men in their 70s, two Fort Worth men in their 70s, two Tarrant County men in their 70s, five Fort Worth men in their 60s, a Mansfield man in his 60s, and a Hurst man in his 50s.
Another 1,269 cases in the area raises the total to 120,899.
Denton County Reports 839 New Cases
An additional 839 new cases in the county raises the total to 30,725. There have been 645 newly-recovered cases, bringing the countywide recovery total to 21,521.
A free drive-thru COVID-19 testing center will be available on Friday, Dec.18 at North Central Texas College’s Exchange Parking Garage at 319 E. Sycamore St in Denton. Eligible community members must reside in Denton County, pre-register by calling 940-349-2585 and have not previously tested positive for COVID-19. Pre-registration is required with appointments starting at 8 a.m.
Methodist Dallas Receives First Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Methodist Dallas Medical Center became the first North Texas hospital to receive doses of a COVID-19 vaccine Monday morning.
The hospital said they started administering vaccines to healthcare workers around 10 a.m. An environment services worker who cleans up the center's emergency room was the first to receive an injection, according to a Methodist Health System representative.
Vaccine doses are being shipped to hospitals throughout the state and U.S., with health care workers first in line to receive the shots.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said 19,500 doses of the vaccine were headed Monday to four sites in Texas: MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Wellness 360 at UT Health San Antonio and UT Health Austin’s Dell Medical School.
Sunday, Dec. 13
Dallas County Reports 1,810 Cases, 4 Deaths
Dallas County Health and Human Services announced 1,810 additional positive cases on Sunday — 1,551 confirmed cases and 259 probable cases.
Four additional deaths are reported. They are:
- A Grand Prairie woman in her 40s who had been hospitalized and had underlying conditions
- A Dallas woman in her 50s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying health conditions
- A Mesquite man in his 80s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying health conditions
- A Dallas woman in her 90s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying health conditions
The cumulative totals for Dallas County are:
- 144,523 cases
- 15,623 probable cases
- 1,379 deaths
Tarrant County Reports 20 Deaths, 1,423 Cases
Tarrant County Public Health reports 1,423 cases and 20 deaths. Details about the victims were not available.
The countywide total is now 119,630 cases. The total numbers of deaths is now 992.
Read More: A Timeline Of COVID-19's Spread In North Texas
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