For the latest on the pandemic in North Texas, visit KERA News' COVID-19 Live Updates page.
Saturday, April 24
Dallas Reports 303 Cases, 8 Deaths
Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 303 additional cases on Saturday. Of those, 267 are confirmed and 36 are probable.
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 256,342, and the total number of probable cases is 40,973.
Eight additional deaths are also reported:
- A Dallas man in his 40s who had been critically ill in a hospital with underlying conditions
- A Dallas man in his 60s who was found dead and had underlying health conditions
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of an Irving long-term care facility
- A Dallas man in his 60s who had been critically ill in a hospital
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of a Lancaster long-term care facility
- A Mesquite woman in her 70s
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of a Dallas long-term care facility
- A woman in her 80s who was a resident of a Garland long-term care facility
Tarrant County Reports 198 New Cases, 14 Deaths
Tarrant County has reported 198 new cases and 14 deaths on Saturday.
The total number of cases in Tarrant County is now 255,681, and the total number of deaths is 3,397.
U.S. Lifts Pause In Use Of J&J Vaccine After Vote By Expert Panel
Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is allowed again now that a panel of experts has voted to put it back in distribution despite rare blood clotting problems.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday after the panel voted that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, and its benefits outweigh the known risks.
For 10 days the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine had been in limbo as U.S. health authorities declared a recommended "pause" on administering the shot.
The CDC and the FDA decided to restart administering the single-dose vaccine and to recommend that anyone with concerns should consult their health care provider. The agencies said the chance of the blood clotting disorder is "very low" and has affected mainly women under age 50.
Friday, April 23
Dallas County Reports 181 Cases, Nine Deaths
The deaths reported Friday include people who ranged in age from their 40s to their 80s, and all but one had high-risk health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 174 Cases, One Death
The death reported Friday is a woman from Fort Worth in her 40s, who had underlying conditions. Tarrant County now has 3,383 confirmed deaths and 247,705 people have recovered.
Denton County Reports 89 Cases
Of the 89 cases reported by Denton County on Friday, 83 are active cases. There have been a total of 482 deaths in the county.
Texas Will Get 1.7 Million Vaccine Doses Next Week
The Texas Department of State Health Services is allocating 708,460 first doses to 928 providers in 129 counties. DSHS is ordering 570,520 second doses for people vaccinated a few weeks ago. An estimated 470,000 additional first and second doses are expected to be available to pharmacy locations, federally-qualified health centers and dialysis centers as allocated directly by the federal government.
With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine again recommended for use in the United States, the federal government is expected to make doses of that vaccine available to states as early as this weekend. If that occurs, DSHS will update its allocation once new orders are placed.
Texas has now administered more than 16.8 million doses of vaccine. Almost 10.5 million people have received at least one dose, and about 7 million are now fully vaccinated.
Methodist Hospital Offers First-Come, First-Serve Vaccine Doses
COVID-19 vaccines are available on a first-come, first-serve basis Monday at Methodist Hospital in Dallas. Walk-ups are welcome from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or until 1,000 doses are gone.
These are first doses, and people must show a photo ID. Methodist Dallas Medical Center is at 1441 N. Beckley Avenue.
This disbursement strategy comes as the pace of vaccinations has slowed in Texas, according to the Department of State Health Services.
Imelda Garcia, Associate Commissioner of Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services, told reporters on Thursday that it may take the state longer to reach herd immunity.
“It seems we’re getting to the point that most people eager to get vaccinated have gotten at least their first dose,” she said. “So the next phase will be about helping ensure that [the] vaccine is more easily available to those folks who are not going to go as far out of their way.”
In allocations for the week of April 26, the state has shifted thousands of doses away from large hub providers and is giving more shots to doctors offices and clinics, so people have more potential places to go.
Almost a third of Texas’ adult population is fully vaccinated, but herd immunity would require a much higher number than that.
McKinney Closes Vaccination Hub
After administering more than 56,000 shots since late December, the vaccination hub at the McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center officially closed Friday. The hub opened to help meet the high demand for vaccines when they first became available, and vaccine distribution will now shift to smaller providers, such as doctors' offices and pharmacies.
On the first day of operating the hub, 67 vaccinations were provided. On the final day on Friday, 1,018 doses were provided by noon. A grand total of 56,206 shots were administered.
Residents looking for vaccine providers can visit the Collin County Health Care Services website and the DSHS vaccine website that lists large vaccination hubs, a vaccine availability map, and a list of all providers.
Arlington Mass Vaccination Site Closes As Vaccine Demand Drops
A federally-supported COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Arlington has closed this week as demand for shots dwindles.
The site opened in February in partnership with FEMA to vaccinate low-income residents and communities of color.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports only 700 people were left on Tarrant County Public Health's registration list as of yesterday.
Texas Woman Hospitalized For Blood Clots After Getting Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
State health officials say a Texas woman hospitalized after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine appeared to have symptoms like the rare, but serious blood clots currently under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation.
For now, Imelda Garcia with the Department of State Health Services says they’re waiting for federal officials to finish gathering information on this case.
“It’s important to remember that just because something is reported, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it was caused by or linked to the vaccine.”
Garcia said so far, 616,000 Texans have received the Johnson & Johnson shot, which has since been paused.
Texas Renters Are Finally Getting Relief Funds From The State
Texas is now paying out millions of dollars each week to help people who have fallen behind on rent due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to state officials.
The more than $1 billion Texas Rent Relief program struggled to process applications efficiently during a shaky rollout that led to a backlog of tens of thousands of applicants. Housing advocates say some people were even evicted while waiting to be approved for rental assistance.
Since then, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has added staff, switched software and streamlined the application to speed up operations. The department’s executive director, Bobby Wilkinson, told KERA changes continue to be made to improve the process, and prioritize people at highest risk of eviction.
Even though the economy continues to recover, a lot of Texans are still struggling to make ends meet, and many landlords have months of unpaid rent on their books. The federally funded Texas Rent Relief program is designed to keep renters from being evicted and to make landlords whole.
Eligible tenants can get up to 15 months of assistance to cover past-due and future rent. The program also helps people pay utility and home energy bills. The application is at TexasRentRelief.com.
“I would really want to stress to landlords: Don’t evict. Once [tenants] are gone, you can’t get the money. This is not a ‘repay the landlord after someone moves out’ program. This is a ‘keep people in their homes’ program,” Wilkinson said.
Software problems and other issues plagued the rollout of the massive rental assistance program. That meant that only 250 Texans received payment in the program's first six weeks, even though more than 72,000 people applied and many more tried to apply.
Thursday, April 22
Denton County Vaccination Clinic Postponed Because Of Severe Weather
The clinic at Texas Motor Speedway will be closed Friday because of hail and lightning forecast in the area. Denton County Public Health officials will send rescheduled appointment details as soon as new times and dates have been confirmed.
Denton County reported 59 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. A cumulative total of 482 deaths have been recorded in the county.
Dallas County Reports 225 Cases, Eight Deaths
The deaths reported Thursday included people who ranged in age from their 70s to their 90s. All had underlying high-risk health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 246 New Cases, Three Deaths
The deaths reported Thursday include a man from North Richland Hills in his 80s, a man from Fort Worth in his 70s, and a woman from Fort Worth in her 60s. All had underlying conditions.
Tarrant County now has 3,382 confirmed deaths and 247,557 people have recovered.
At Least 1 In 5 Texans Are Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
As of Wednesday, about 1 in 5 Texans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Another 10 million people in the state have received at least one dose.
The Texas Tribune reports Texas still lags well behind other states in its progress toward reaching herd immunity, ranking 45th nationally in terms of its fully vaccinated population.
Meanwhile, Texas beats the national percentage of senior citizens who have been fully vaccinated.
Health experts estimate 75 to 90% of Texans need to be immunized to reach herd immunity. But about 23% of the state's population is children under 16, who have not been approved to receive any of the authorized vaccines yet.
North Texas Airlines Report Over $1 Billion Loss, But There Are Signs Of A Bounceback
Two prominent North Texas airlines have both reported more than a $1 billion loss for the first quarter. However, there are signs of a comeback in the airline industry.
On Thursday, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said the Fort Worth-based carrier flew more customers this quarter than any other airline in the world.
“We were cash positive in the month of March, our first such month since the beginning of the pandemic,” he said.
American also plans to rehire some of its pilots. Gregg Overman is with the Allied Pilots Association, the union representing about 15,000 American Airlines pilots.
“This fall the initial number will be 300 and next year more like 900 pilots," Overman said. "During the pandemic about 1000 pilots took early retirement. The baby boomer generation is beginning to retire, so the company does need to hire more pilots.”
Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, said it saw continued revenue growth since March. He said the Dallas-based airline plans to add more flights to its June schedule. The flying capacity would be only slightly less than pre-pandemic levels.
Wednesday, April 21
Tarrant County Public Health Director Urges Residents To Sign Up For Vaccine
Tarrant County Public Health director Vinny Taneja said demand for COVID-19 vaccines has dropped, and they're asking those eligible to sign up for a dose.
"So the message for everyone to repeat to anybody they meet, let's get vaccinated while the cases are low,” he said. “Don't let your guard down because it can surge, examples abound all across, we've seen those."
The county today reports 192 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths.
Dallas County Reports 279 New Cases
Another 279 cases in the area raises the total to 255,782. Of the cases reported today, 138 are confirmed cases. A total of eight deaths were reported today including:
- A Garland man in his 40s.
- A Wilmer man in his 50s.
- A Garland man in his 60s.
- A Mesquite man in his 70s.
- A Dallas man in his 70s.
- A Dallas man in his 70s.
- An Irving man in his 70s
- A Balch Springs man in his 80s.
58 Additional Cases In Denton County
There are 58 additional cases in the county, raising the total to 73,645. There have been 158 newly recovered cases of COVID-19, increasing the countywide recovery total to 69,333.
Tarrant County Reports 148 New Cases
Another 148 cases increases the total to 255,063. There have been 3,379 deaths and 247,343 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.
Dallas County Health Official Calls For Continued Precautions As COVID-19 Numbers Improve
Dallas County Health director Dr. Philip Huang told county commissioners on Tuesday that COVID-19 metrics have improved in recent weeks. But residents should continue to take precautions like social distancing and mask wearing.
“We do remain now in the orange zone for transmission, it's still extreme caution, but certainly progress form being in the red zone,” he said. “We still are not out of the woods yet.”
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says the county is "in a race against time and the virus to reach herd immunity." Herd immunity is when enough people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or built up immunity through a previous infection.
Dallas County To Hand Vaccination Efforts To Private Company
Dallas County will pay a private company up to $30 million in federal coronavirus aid for future vaccine efforts, including pop-up inoculation sites and walk-in clinics.
The Dallas Morning News reports commissioners yesterday unanimously approved a contract with Colorado-based American Medical Response Ambulance Service.
The company will begin to take over the county health department’s vaccine hub at Fair Park as early as next week.
The hub in South Dallas has served as one of several federal vaccination sites run by the U.S. military and FEMA aimed at increasing immunity in underserved and highly vulnerable communities.
Soldiers from Fort Riley, Kansas will leave the fair Park hub May 15.
At the same time, commissioners and officials across the country are grappling with a dramatic increase in vaccine supply and shrinking demand.
Tuesday, April 20
COVID-19 ravaged Texas Nursing Homes. The Texas Tribune Explores The Stories Behind The Numbers.
Nearly 90,000 nursing home residents in Texas have died of COVID-19 this past year.
Carla Astudillo with The Texas Tribune talked about its analysis of state COVID 19 data on public radio's Texas Standard.
"Right around the beginning what was most interesting about nursing home deaths was the proportion that nursing home residents made," Astudillo siad. "They made up 40% of total COVID deaths statewide."
Astudillo said the biggest takeaway is the vulnerability of nursing homes to infection.
The federal government has cited 80% of nursing homes in Texas for infection control and prevention issues.
Read more about how the virus affected nursing homes in the state from The Texas Tribune.
Texas A&M Scientists Identify New Variant
Researchers at Texas A&M University have identified a new variant of the COVID-19 virus that may have greater resistance to antibodies, which the body creates to ward off infections.
The BV-1 variant, named for its origin in the Brazos Valley, was detected in a College Station student last month who had mild symptoms, but was infected for longer than is typical for young adults.
Texas A&M Virologist Ben Neuman says the strain is a mutation of the variant first found in the UK.NEUMAN.
"That mutation makes the virus resistant to antibody therapies and will probably make it a little more resistant to vaccinations. So it's not the same mutation that's changed in the South Africa or Brazil strains," Neuman said. "It's kind of the one next door and it looks as though it's going to have the same effect."
Neuman says the new variant has been reported to state and federal public health officials.
282 New Cases & 13 More Deaths Reported In Dallas County
Of the 282 new cases in Dallas County today, all but 45 are confirmed. This brings the total cases countywide to 255,644, including 3,820 deaths.
Among those who's deaths were reported today are 19-year-old man and a woman in her 30s, both lived in the City of Dallas and had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 3 More Deaths & 192 New Cases
Tarrant County now has 3,378 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and 254,915 cumulative cases — 247,126 people have recovered.
The deceased were all from Fort Worth: a man from Fort Worth in his 80s, a woman in her 60s and a man in his 50s. All had underlying health conditions.
3 Deaths & 164 New Cases In Denton County
Denton County Public Health announced 164 new cases and three more deaths as a result of COVID-19, bringing the total case count to 73,588, including 482 deaths. Today’s reported COVID-19 deaths include:
- A Copper Canyon man over 80
- A Denton woman over 80
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of unincorporated southwest Denton County
State Launches Next Phase In Vaccination Campaign
The Texas Department of State Health Services is launching the next phase of its campaign encouraging Texans to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with a $1.5 million television and radio ad buy.
The campaign includes messages geared toward specific groups, like Black and brown Texans, that research shows tend to be less likely to get vaccinated.
The first ad, which started running Monday features Dr. Farris Blount talking to fellow Black Texans about the importance of getting vaccinated.
Digital ads are also running in English and Spanish featuring Dr. Ross, a Houston physician, and Dr. Emilie Prot, the DSHS regional medical director in Harlingen.
“Our research shows that individual health care professionals are the most trusted voices for people deciding whether to get vaccinated,” said DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt in a statement. “Over the coming weeks we will continue to share messages encouraging various communities to get vaccinated. We are also relying on trusted voices within those communities to speak up and let their neighbors know that the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to end the pandemic and restore normalcy.”
Later this week, DSHS will have the first of 22 parking lot pop-up events around Texas. These 4-hour events, hosted in Walmart parking lots through mid-May, will feature a 16-foot video wall with facts about COVID-19 vaccines.
The first three events will be Thursday in Austin, Friday in Houston and Saturday in Beaumont.
Results Coming Soon In The Federal Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Investigation
Experts are preparing to present results of an investigation into possible links between the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and rare U.S. cases of blood clots.
The FDA last week paused use of the one-dose vaccine while the cases were examined.
Johnson & Johnson advised European governments to store their doses until the EU drug regulator issued guidance on their use.
American Airlines Bringing Back Beverage Service
Starting May 1, there will be full beverage service in all American domestic premium cabins. Starting June 1, beverage service, including canned drinks, juice and water, will begin in the main cabin.
The airline says the safety and well-being of customers and the flight crew on board is a top priority.
“American’s reintroduction of beverage service is a careful and informed process to ensure everyone on board feels safe and comfortable,” Brady Byrnes, Vice President of Flight Service said in a statement. “When customers fly with American, they are trusting us with their safety. We worked closely with the union that represents our flight attendants, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and medical experts on this process."
American says feedback from flight attendants and customers will be closely considered as more food and beverage service is introduced incrementally.
Monday, April 19
500 Vaccines Available To Fort Worth ISD Employees Or Anyone 18 And Older
Civitas Senior Living Center in Fort Worth is offering 500 vaccines on a first-come, first-served basis to Fort Worth ISD employees, or anyone 18 years and older at its clinic, located at 930 W. 1st Street in Fort Worth, on the third floor of the building.
The clinic will take place on Wednesday, April 21 and is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fort Worth ISD employees can sign up for a vaccine by using an online form. Employees should complete the online registration and bring the paper consent form attached to their appointment confirmation email.
If more people register than there are vaccines available, Civitas will notify each person via email if there are no more appointments available. However, those who get this notification are still encouraged to come to the clinic around 5:30 p.m. to see if any leftover doses may be available.
Tarrant County Reports 133 New Cases
There are 133 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 254,723. A total of 3,375 deaths and 246,970 people have recovered from the virus in the area.
219 New Cases In Denton County
An additional 219 cases brings the total to 73,424. There have been 489 newly recovered cases in the area, raising the countywide recovery total to 68,979.
Project Unity Expands Vaccination Program To West Dallas
Dallas-based nonprofit Project Unity is expanding its free community vaccination event to West Dallas starting on Monday. Uber is offering free rides to the event.
The vaccination event on Monday will serve a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood with first doses of the Moderna vaccine, through the partnership of Brother Bill’s Helping Hand (BBHH). The second dose of the Moderna vaccine will be administered on May 17. Monday’s event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday at 3906 N. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, TX 75212.
Project Unity’s founder Pastor Richie Butler said the vaccination program is key to reaching herd immunity.
“Working with partners like Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, we will offer life-saving vaccines to under-served residents where they live and who may have concerns that require a conversation and reassurance from a trusted medical professional,” he said.
Nationwide data shows Black and Latino communities have been hardest hit by COVID-19 and are being vaccinated at lower rates. To address this disparity, Project Unity is partnering with St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church and Catalyst Health Network to provide drive-thru vaccinations.
Schedule:
April 19 – First Moderna (May 17: Second Moderna) – REGISTER HERE
- Location: Brother Bill’s Helping Hands, 3906 N. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, TX 75212
April 23 – Second Pfizer
- Location: St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, 5710 E. R L Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75223
April 26 – First Moderna (May 25 – Second Moderna) – REGISTER HERE
- Location: Disciple Central Community Church, 901 N. Polk St, Suite 1010, DeSoto, TX 75115
April 28 – First Moderna (May 26 – Second Moderna)
- Location: St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, 5710 E. R L Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75223
April 30 – First Moderna (May 28 – Second Moderna)
- Location: For Oak Cliff, 907 E. Ledbetter Dr, Dallas, TX 75216
Statewide Rolling Average Shows Rise In Cases
The two-week rolling average of coronavirus cases in Texas is increasing, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The average number of new cases per day in the state has risen more than 5% between April 1 and April 15.
Across the state, 1,900 more coronavirus cases were reported Sunday along with 28 new deaths. Nearly 50,000 Texans have died of COVID-19, ranking the state third nationally.
Read More: A Timeline Of COVID-19's Spread In North Texas
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