Dallas County health officials have released new demographic data on COVID-19 patients. As of Tuesday, more than 1,200 cases were confirmed throughout the county.
Looking at race and ethnicity, 19% of patients are black, 24% are Hispanic, 20% are white and 2% are Asian. One percent reported their race as "other."
But county leaders are missing a significant portion of the data — race has not been reported for more than a third of COVID-19 patients.
Dallas County on Wednesday released race and ethnicity data on the 20 residents who’ve died from COVID-19. Eight – or 40% – were white; six – or 30% – were Hispanic; five – or 25% – were black; one resident was classified as “other.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says all of the deaths are tragic and that tracking the data is important.
Most COVID-19 cases in Dallas County have not required hospital care. Among those hospitalized, 70% of patients have been 60 or older, or have at least one high‐risk chronic health condition.
About 80% of coronavirus cases in Dallas County are tied to close contact with an infected person or community transmission.
Health officials are preparing for a possible surge of cases in early May, based on projection models.
This story has been updated.