For the latest news on the pandemic, visit KERA's COVID-19 live updates page.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Tarrant County Reports 1,062 New Cases
There are 1,062 additional cases in the area, increasing the total to 73,180. There have been 760 deaths and 56,715 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.
58 New Cases In Denton County
Another 58 cases were reported in the area, bringing the total to 18,114. There were 64 newly-recovered cases, increasing the countywide recovery total to 14,645.
A free drive-thru testing center will be available on November 10 at Little Elm ISD Athletic Complex, 1151 E. Eldorado Pkwy in Little Elm. 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 and appointments are available starting at 8 a.m.
Collin County Reports 109 Cases
An additional 109 cases were reported in the area, raising the total to 19,810. There have been 199 deaths and 186 people who have been hospitalized.
Friday, Nov. 6
1,269 Cases Reported In Dallas County
With the new cases, Dallas County now has 100,628 total cases. Two deaths were also reported: a Dallas woman in her 50s and a man in his 60s who lived in a long-term care facility in Dallas.
The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases for CDC week 43 (the week ending Oct. 24) has increased to 733 — the highest daily average of new cases since July.
"We are seeing too many people relax their resolve due to COVID fatigue and now is not the time to stop wearing masks or being around more people when we are in a dangerous fall wave," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. "We must get these numbers under control as Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two holidays when people are around more people and the cold winter months bring us indoors where spread is easier."
952 Cases Reported In Tarrant County
Another record high number of cases are reported today in Tarrant County — 952. The countywide total is now 72,118.
Four deaths are also reported on Friday, including two Fort Worth residents — one in rural Tarrant County and one in Crowley. Other details were not available.
Collin County Reports 221 Cases
221 cases are being reported in Collin County on Friday, bringing the county total to 19,701.
Denton County Reports 214 Cases
Denton County Public Health is reporting 214 new cases, 153 of which are active. The county's total is now 18,056.
El Paso Seeks Help From FEMA, State Funeral Commission As Death Count Rises
In El Paso, five FEMA trailers have been brought in to help accommodate the surge of COVID-19 fatalities.
Officials yesterday also said the Texas Funeral Service Commission has been asked to help make an assessment of the needs of the area’s funeral homes and mortuaries.
The 22 additional deaths reported yesterday brought El Paso County's death toll for the eight-month pandemic to 639.
North Texas Educators Are Still Adjusting To School Life Amid Pandemic
North Texas education leaders say faculty and staff are still adjusting to the pandemic's effect on schools.
During a virtual event held by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Keller ISD Superintendent Rick Westfall said districts are getting used to the option of virtual learning.
"The biggest challenge that I think we in public ed face, is that challenge of creating essentially two instructional systems on a framework that's designed for one instructional system, and really with no additional funding to get it done,” he said.
Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner added that his district continues to adjust, but things have gotten better.
"We are really improving with regard to our virtual experience,” he said. “We know that there needs to be continued investment, not only in PPE for our schools, for our faculty, for our staff, to keep them safe and healthy, but also the digital divide.”
Thursday, Nov. 5
Dallas County Reports Six Deaths
The six deaths increase the total COVID-19 deaths in the county to 1,127. The deaths include a man in his 40s from Irving, a woman in her 50s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Dallas, a man in his 60s from Dallas, a woman in her 70s from Irving, a woman in her 80s from Grand Prairie, and a woman in her 90s from Garland.
Dallas County also reported 868 new cases, bringing that total to 99,761.
Tarrant County Reports 938 New Cases
The 938 new cases brings the county total to 71,166. Eight more deaths were reported, bringing that total to 753.
207 New Cases in Denton County
Denton County announced 207 new cases, increasing the cumulative, countywide total to 17,842 cases. The county also reported 116 newly recovered cases of COVID-19, increasing the recovery total to 14,476.
291 New Cases In Collin County
The 291 cases raises the cumulative county total to 19,480. There were three additional deaths, bringing that total to 196, and 18,009 people have recovered.
Additional SNAP Food Benefits Will Continue In Texas
Texas received federal approval to continue a pandemic-era program that gives low-income households extra help paying for groceries. The program’s continuation comes as a rising number of Texas households report not getting enough food each week.
A spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission told KERA that recipients should see the extra benefits in their Lone Star card accounts by November 15. More than 1.7 million households in Texas, comprising about 3.9 people, were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in October.
As the pandemic sent the economy into a tail spin last spring, the number of people applying for food stamps shot up. In March, Congress gave states permission to increase every recipient’s monthly food benefits to the maximum amount allowed under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as part of an early coronavirus relief package.
Since April, Texas has put about $1.5 billion-worth of additional benefits into the hands of households struggling to make ends meet. The state plans to give out another $202 million in additional SNAP benefits this month.
Texans can apply for SNAP and other benefits at the website YourTexasBenefits.com.
New Data Shows 50% Of DISD Students Experienced Learning Loss Due To COVID
New data from the Dallas school district shows half of all students experienced learning loss in math and nearly a third slipped in reading during disruptions caused by COVID-19.
The Dallas Morning News report is based on DISD’s analysis of start-of-year assessments given to students in September and October.
The Measure of Academic Progress assessment found significant gaps between student performance on the test last year compared with the start of the current school year.
The Dallas school board will get a more detailed briefing today.
Wednesday, Nov. 4
Tarrant County Reports 709 New Cases
There are now 70,228 cases in Tarrant County. Three deaths were also reported, bringing that total to 745 countywide. 54,981 people have recovered.
201 New Cases in Denton County
The 201 cases brings the countywide total to 17,635. No new deaths were reported, leaving that total at 138. There were 182 recoveries reported, bringing that total to 14,360.
Denton County Public Health is offering a free drive-thru testing center on Friday at the University of North Texas' Discovery Park at 3940 N. Elm St. in Denton.
Collin County Cases Exceed 19,000
Collin County reported 284 new cases, bringing the cumulative total to 19,189. There have been 193 deaths total and 17,822 recoveries.
Three Dallas-Based Restaurants Lose Liquor Licenses
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has suspended liquor licenses for three restaurants in Dallas.
The Dallas Morning News reports El Globo Taqueria in the Oak Cliff area, Wok Hard in Deep Ellum and CJ's Billiards and Sports Bar can't serve alcohol for 30 days.
Agency documents said all three businesses violated the Governor's executive orders related to coronavirus safety.
The TABC has suspended liquor licenses of six other businesses in North Texas over the past two weeks.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Dallas County Reports 719 Cases
719 cases, including 121 probable cases are reported by Dallas County. The cumulative total number of cases is now 98,473.
One death is reported — a Dallas man in his 60s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 716 Cases
Tarrant County Public Health is reporting 716 more cases, bringing the total to 69,519. Three deaths are also reported. More details about the deaths were not available.
Denton County Adds 220 New Cases
Denton County is reporting another 220 cases, 140 of which are active. This increases the cumulative, countywide total to 17,435.
Collin County Adds 61 More Cases
Collin County is reporting 61 new cases, bringing its total number of cases to 18,905. Currently, the county is posting a total of 1,238 active cases.
American Airlines Cuts Nearly 50% Of December Flights
Citing low demand because of coronavirus, American Airlines has cut its December schedule nearly 50%.
The Dallas Morning News reports that amounts to more than 100,000 flights.
Dallas-based Airline Data Incorporated said the cut matches those from other major airlines as demand fails to materialize with the fast-approaching holiday season.
December usually provides a welcome traffic boost between Thanksgiving and New Year’s after slow leisure demand in September and October and before another slow period until spring break.
But with surges in COVID-19 and government warnings against large gatherings, many passengers continue to sit out the holiday travel season.
Teach For America DFW Establishes New Mental Health Program Amid Pandemic
With social distancing and remote learning, teaching has become more stressful this school year.
To help address this new reality, the non-profit 'Teach for America DFW' has partnered with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to build a program that helps address the mental health needs of educators.
Rea Foster heads Teach For America DFW. She said prioritizing emotional well-being is a big part of the pilot program.
"An example of that might look like what the Yale Center For Emotional Intelligence calls the 'Mood Meter' it is a framework in which teachers and students can have the vocabulary to identify their emotions and then regulate them,” she said.
The majority of Teach For America DFW's first-year teachers opted into the program.
Teach For America trains and deploys teachers to low-income schools across the country to try and build a more equitable education system.
Monday, Nov. 2
1,516 Cases Reported In Dallas County
Dallas County is reporting a record 1,516 cases — 1,040 probable cases and 477 confirmed cases. This brings the countywide confirmed case total to 97,875.
Two deaths are reported. They are:
- A Grand Prairie man in his 40s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 50s who had been critically ill in a hospital and had underlying conditions.
According to a press release, a large network of outpatient clinics had just begun comprehensive electronic reporting of their antigen testing results to the county. Of the probable cases being reported today, about 80% are from these clinics, representing recent positive antigen test results of Dallas residents from Oct. 13 through Oct. 29.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a tweet: "Therefore, the large amount of cases today can be attributed to this data dump representing cases that were performed over a 15-day period. This is not really a backlog, but rather a bulk upload from outpatient clinics that have ramped up antigen testing..."
570 New Cases In Tarrant County
Tarrant County Public Health is reporting 570 news cases today, bringing the countywide total to 68,803. No deaths are reported.
Denton County Counts 238 New Cases
Denton County Public Health is reporting 238 new cases, increasing the cumulative total to 17,215.
Collin County Gains 96 New Cases
Collin County's number of new cases is 96. The health department is counting 1,306 active cases and 17,538 recovered cases. The cumulative total number of cases is now 18,844.
Say In-Person Learning Is Safe — As Long As Schools Are Cautious
Infectious disease experts with the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia say it's safe for Texas students to return to in-person learning. That is, as long as schools are taking the proper precautions.
Brian Fischer is an infectious disease specialist with the PolicyLab, they've been tracking the spread of COVID-19 on a county-by-county level since March.
"The things we want the leaders of schools to be aware of is, are there transmission events happening within the school on school grounds?" Fischer said. "If that's the case, those are signs you should be reverting to virtual learning."
Fischer said schools should also work to keep children who have been exposed at home, so they don't spread the disease on campus.
Sunday, Nov. 1
Dallas County Reports 750 New Cases
Another 750 cases were reported today, including 46 probable cases. Of the 704 new cases, 363 came through the state’s electronic reporting system that has been experiencing a backlog.
One death was reported today of a Dallas woman in her 60s. She had been critically ill in the hospital with underlying health conditions.
Of all confirmed cases hospitalization up until today, more than two-thirds have been people over the age of 65. Diabetes has been reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients who’ve contracted the virus.
749 New Cases In Tarrant County
There have been 749 cases in the area, raising the total to 68,233. There have been 739 deaths and 53,782 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.
An Arlington man in his 50s reportedly died today due to the virus.
Collin County Reports 113 New Cases
There have been 113 additional cases, bringing the total to 18,748. There have been 188 deaths in the area and 17,380 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.
Read More: A Timeline Of COVID-19's Spread In North Texas
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