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COVID-19 In DFW Feb. 14-Feb. 20: Most Vaccination Sites Closed Because Of Storm

Parkland Hospital/Facebook

Vaccine allocations were also reduced for North Texas, and daily case counts were unavailable in some cases because of the weather.

For the latest on the pandemic in North Texas, visit KERA News' COVID-19 Live Updates page.

Saturday, Feb. 20

North Texas Vaccine Allotment To Be Reduced

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins is concerned that fewer doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are heading to North Texas this week.

Jenkins says the state plans to reduce this week’s allotment in Dallas and Tarrant counties by a total of 20,000 doses. That’s because the counties are set to get doses from FEMA for large vaccine clinics at Fair Park in Dallas and AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Jenkins talked about it on Friday with Commissioners Court colleagues.

“Their thought was, since more shots are coming into the state, they could disperse the shots we were getting to other places and that would be more equitable,” he said.

But Jenkins said the vaccines FEMA will distribute will be given to residents in certain zip codes in underserved neighborhoods.

“You got people who are 80 years old, who’ve been on the list since January, who are waiting to get a shot,” he said. “So you disadvantage the 7.7 million people who live in North Texas.”

The state health department told The Dallas Morning News that Dallas County had been overallocated based on its share of the population and state officials were aiming to get the vaccine to other parts of the state.

The FEMA clinics are set to open Wednesday and will be run by the federal government in partnership with state and local officials.

Dallas County Reports 25 Deaths, 333 New Cases

There are 333 new cases in Dallas County today, including 25 deaths. Of the new cases reported today, 78 are probable cases.

There have now been a cumulative total of 242,541 and a total of 2,816 Dallas County residents have died from COVID-19 illness.

26 Deaths & 401 New Cases In Tarrant County

There have now been a total of 238,077 cases countywide, including 2,757 deaths.

Friday, Feb. 19

Parkland Health Vaccination And Testing Sites Remain Closed

The Ellis Davis Field House (Dallas) and Dallas College - Eastfield Campus (Mesquite) drive-thru vaccination sites will remain closed until Monday, Feb. 22. Those with appointments scheduled for this weekend at those locations are asked to go to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas at their designated appointment time. Those unable to travel to the hospital will be contacted to re-schedule their appointment.

The walk-up testing sites at Irving Health Center and West Dallas Multipurpose Center will also be closed until Monday. The testing site at Sam Tasby Middle School will be closed until Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Dallas County Reports 40 Deaths, 290 New Cases

The deaths give the county a cumulative total of 2,791. Friday's deaths include people who ranged in age from their 40s to their 90s. All but three had underlying high risk health conditions.

According to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, case counts have been low because of interruptions from the recent winter storms. Vaccinations have also been set back because of weather, and the Fair Park site is about 22,000 shots behind schedule.

Thursday, Feb. 18

Fair Park Vaccine Center Will Open Sunday

Dallas County announced on Thursday the Fair Park vaccine center will open on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 1-6 p.m.

Second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to residents. Those with last names starting with the letters A-M should arrive between 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. If your last name starts with the letters N-Z, you should arrive between 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

The center will be open Monday, Feb. 22 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and provide second doses to those due on or before Saturday, Feb.13. Those arriving on Monday should plan to arrive around the same time they received their first dose.

Vaccination Efforts Disrupted By Winter Storm

The winter storm has halted COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Texas.

State health officials told the Dallas Morning News the severe weather has delayed the delivery of hundreds of thousands of doses and prevented what might have been a million injections this week.

Chris Van Deusen with the state health department said the CDC and shipping companies, anticipating bad weather, postponed last Friday’s shipments of 407,000 first doses and 333,000 second doses to Texas.

No word yet on exactly when providers might receive those deliveries given the snow and ice accumulations, impassable roads, power outages, cell phone outages or no access to clean water.

Dallas County Reports 50 More Deaths, 266 New Cases

Another 50 Dallas County residents with COVID-19 have died and the county reported 266 new cases Thursday (210 confirmed). cases and 56 probable cases. There is a cumulative total of 242,094 confirmed cases and a total of 2,751 Dallas County residents have died from COVID-19 illness.

"These last few days have been about survival and I know many of us have been forced to be in close quarters with people that we are not normally around," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement. "The rules still apply to protect yourself from COVID-19: Wear a mask, maintain distance, avoid crowds and forgo get-togethers."

The individuals' whose deaths are being reported today ranged in age from their 20s to their 90s. All but two had underlying health conditions.

450 New Cases In Tarrant County

Another 450 additional cases in the county raises the total to 236,911. There have been 2,689 deaths and 206,357 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Collin County Reports 146 Additional Cases

There are 146 new cases, bringing the total to 68,545. There have been 686 total deaths in the area.

Wednesday, Feb. 17

Fair Park Vaccine Site Closed Through Saturday

Dallas County announced the site will remain closed through Saturday, Feb. 20 due to severe weather.

The county will only see residents who need their second doses until it catches up - those who are most delayed on their second doses will be prioritized. The site will have enough vaccines to ensure residents who received their first dose can receive their second dose.

The second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered up to six weeks after the first dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more information and weather updates on Fair Park vaccine operations, visitwww.DallasCountyCovid.org

Dallas County Reports 383 New Cases, 35 Deaths

Another 383 new cases have been reported, 352 of which are confirmed. There is now a total of 241,884 cases.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the numbers are “artificially low” because of power outages that have stalled reporting.

A total of 2,701 residents have lost their lives due to the virus; 35 additional deaths were reported today.

497 New Cases In Tarrant County

There are 497 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 236,461. There have been 2,671 deaths and 203,091 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Collin County Reports 252 New Cases

An additional 252 cases raises the total to 68,399. There have been 685 deaths in the area.

Parkland Administers 100,000th Vaccine Dose

Nurses at Parkland Memorial Hospital on Tuesday administered the 100,000th COVID-19 vaccine dose. The first dose was administered on Dec. 15, 2020.

Francesco Mainetti is the vice president of Transformational Initiatives for Parkland Health & Hospital System. Mainetti, who oversees Parkland’s vaccination effort, said "this is an important milestone". Mainetti said more than 65,000 community members have received either one or both doses of the vaccine.

“Getting our community vaccinated is the first step in being able to get back to things like spending time with family and friends," he said.

Despite the winter snowstorm, Parkland staff have continued to vaccinate patients at the main hospital campus and reschedule individuals for their first or second dose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the second dose can be administered up to 42 days after the initial dose.

Mainetti said Parkland will contact those who missed their COVID-19 vaccine appointment by the end of the week.

To sign up for a vaccine on the DCHHS website, visitDallas County COVID-19 vaccine. For additional information, visitTexas Department of State Health Services.

Tuesday, Feb. 16

Dallas County Reports 13 Deaths, 245 New Cases

The 13 deaths give the county a cumulative total of 2,666 deaths. The deaths reported on Tuesday include people who ranged in age from their 30s to their 90s. All but two had underlying high-risk health conditions, and four people were residents of long-term care facilities.

While case numbers are trending downward, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Tuesday's numbers may be artificially low because of weather closures disrupting the reporting process. Both Tarrant and Denton counties did not report new cases or deaths because of weather-related closures.

Texas Won't Be Getting Its COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments Until Weather Conditions Improve, State Officials Say

Snowstorms across the state are expected to affect Texas’ effort to vaccinate people this week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “has put vaccine shipments on hold” due to dangerous conditions created by the storm, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.

“We are not expecting deliveries to occur until at least Wednesday and expect an update later today,” spokesman Douglas Loveday said in a statement. “Vaccination will resume as soon as it is safe.”

According to health officials last week, Texas was expected to “receive 407,650 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government for the week of Feb. 15.”

Read more from KUT's Ashley Lopez.

Power Outages Push Houston To Rush To Use Vaccines

Public health officials in the Houston area rushed to get more than 8,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots into arms after the site storing them lost power on Monday. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo explained how they decided where to distribute the doses.

"We were looking for places where there were already large numbers of people, where there were nurses, trained medical professionals, who could administer the vaccines, and where we wouldn't need folks to drive somewhere in these very dangerous weather and road conditions," she said.

Harris County Public Health distributed over 5,000 of the doses to three hospitals, the county jail, and Rice University. Another 3,000 are back in storage after the manufacturer, Moderna, said the remaining doses could be refrigerated again.

Monday, Feb. 15

Testing And Vaccine Sites Close Due To Severe Weather

Several COVID 19 testing and vaccine sites are closed because of the weather.

Dallas County's vaccination location at Fair Park is closed through Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Parkland Memorial Hospital vaccination locations at Ellis Davis Field House and Dallas College’s Eastfield Campus in Mesquite are closed through Tuesday.

Vaccination clinics and outpatient clinics at Parkland are closed. The hospital will contact patients to reschedule vaccination appointments.

Parkland’s COVID-19 testing sites at Sam Tasby Middle School in Dallas, the Irving Health Center and the West Dallas Multipurpose Center are closed. Regular hours will resume Wednesday.

Sunday, Feb. 14

Dallas County Reports 885 Cases, 10 Deaths

Dallas County Public Health reported 885 new cases on Sunday and 10 deaths. Of the new cases, 745 are confirmed and 140 are probable.

The deaths are:

  • A Grand Prairie woman in her 40s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Grand Prairie woman in her 50s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • An Irving woman in her 50s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas woman in her 50s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Mesquite woman in her 60s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas woman in her 60s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas woman in her 70s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas man in his 80s who died in hospice and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas woman in her 80s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
  • A Dallas woman in her 80s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

Dallas County's total number of cases is 274,425 and a total of 2,622 people have died.

Tarrant County Reports 797 Cases, 11 Deaths

Tarrant County Public Health reported 797 new cases and 11 deaths. The county's total number of cases is now 235,964 — including 201,552 confirmed and 34,412 probable.

Funeral Services Set For Congressman Ron Wright

Funeral services for Rep. Ron Wright will begin with a public viewing from 2 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The viewing is open to the public and will be followed by a rosary.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Texas Ballroom at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. The Rev. Michael Olson, bishop of the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese, will lead the service which includes a Mass and a short tribute. The service is open to the public.

More information can be found here. Wright is the first sitting member of Congress to die after contracting COVID-19. He was being treated for lung cancer when he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Read More: A Timeline Of COVID-19's Spread In North Texas

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