The number of coronavirus tests being done each day in Texas has dropped by the thousands in August, mirroring nationwide trends. The drop comes even as deaths are continuing to climb, students are returning to class and football teams charge ahead with plans to play.
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Saturday, August 15
Collin County Crosses Over The 10,000 Mark For Total Cases
Collin County reported 403 new cases today, bringing the county's cumulative total to 10,007. The four deaths reported makes the total number of deaths 98.
Tarrant County: Double The Usual Daily Cases Due To Backlog, TCPH Reports
Tarrant County Public Health reported roughly double the usual daily number of new cases today because of an electronic lab report backlog by Texas Department of State Health Services, TCPH said.
The county is reporting different numbers for new cases on its online dashboard and in its daily COVID press release — 1,443 vs. 1,487 — perhaps due to in-progress backlog-catchup.
"The increase in cases is expected to continue for a few days while old data is received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)," today's press release stated. "Many of the tests are from more than a month ago and largely from private labs."
Counties occasionally report higher than normal case numbers on a single day due to backlogs. For instance, Collin County reported a new-case number Friday that was nearly 10 times its daily average because of backed-up counts coming in.
Tarrant County reported five new deaths today, bringing the county's death total to 451. The total number of cases since counting began is now around 37,072, according to the county's COVID dashboard.
Dallas County: 8 New Deaths
Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 754 new cases today and eight additional deaths. The total case count — current, recovered and deaths — is now 58,067, and there have been 824 total deaths.
On Friday, 885 cases and nine deaths were reported.
Denton County: 86 New Cases
Denton County Public Health reported 86 new cases today, bringing the total number of cases to 8,300. The death total stands at 82.
Texas Testing Drops As Schools Reopen, Prepare For Football
Texas leaders who grappled with coronavirus testing shortages for much of the pandemic are now facing the opposite problem: not enough takers.
The number of coronavirus tests being done each day in Texas has dropped by the thousands in August, mirroring nationwide trends. The drop comes even as deaths are continuing to climb, students are returning to class and football teams charge ahead with plans to play.
The trend worries health experts who fear that states are flying blind into fall unless enough testing is done to keep the virus in check.
— Associated Press
Friday, August 14
Dallas County: 9 New Deaths
Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 885 new cases today and nine deaths.
The people who died were a person in her 30s, one in her 40s, one in her 50s, three people in their 60s, two people in their 70s and one person in her 80s.
Dallas County's cumulative case total is now 57,313 and the death total is 816.
Denton County: 2 New Deaths
Denton County Public Health reports 137 new cases and two additional deaths today. The people who died were:
• A man over the age of 80 at a care center in Denton
• A man in his 70s, also at a care center in Denton
Denton County's cumulative case total is now 8,214 and its death total is 82.
Denton County reported seven deaths each on Thursday and Wednesday, a tie for the county's highest single-day death count.
Tarrant County: 4 New Deaths
Tarrant County Public Health reported 500 new cases and four deaths. Those who died were:
• A man from Fort Worth in his 90s
• A man from Arlington in his 80s
• A man from Fort Worth in his 70s
• A woman from Fort Worth in her 60s
Tarrant County now has a total of 35,629 cumulative cases and 446 total deaths.
Collin County: 1,175 Cases Added, Mostly Because Of Database Backlog
In addition to five new deaths reported today, Collin County reports 1,175 additional cases. That's a big jump from typical daily case numbers out of Collin County — for instance, there were 149 new cases reported Thursday.
The county said in a press release that the increase is because the Department of State Health Services updated its COVID-19 database, releasing a large backlog of cases that hit the Collin County COVID dashboard today.
"The 1,175 'new' cases reported this afternoon — almost 10 times the average daily new case count — do not reflect a recent spike in new cases," the release stated. "County staff does not yet have an accurate picture of how far back the backlog cases go, but are working to sort through reports in an effort to align new case dates accurately over time."
The release also said the state's reporting system will undergo maintenance tonight, which could cause another "new"-case fluctuation over the next few days.
Collin County's cumulative case total is now 9,612 and its death total to 98.
3 Teachers At Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Daycare Test Positive
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD announced that three teachers at the Child Development Academy, a childcare center for employees located southwest of the George Bush Turnpike and Dallas North Tollway, have tested positive for COVID-19.
The district's press released mentioned that the "CDC requires anyone who [has] been exposed to coronavirus to quarantine at home for 14 days." It also said that the district has notified Dallas County Health and Human Services, parents of children attending the center and staff.
The center's building will be closed until further notice.
Governor Abbott Acknowledges 'COVID Fatigue,' Says School Superintendents Are Best Ones To Make Reopening Decisions
Governor Greg Abbott visited Lubbock and El Paso on Thursday to meet with local leaders and provide updates on COVID-19.
At a press conference in El Paso, Abbott said superintendents are best suited to make decisions about when and how schools reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, and that each district should be able to assess the risk of in-person instruction.
"Because of the size of Texas, because some areas have different population density levels, it’s important to have flexibility for each school district and its own unique setting," he said.
Statewide, hospitalizations have declined in recent weeks — while the percentage of tests yielding positive results has risen.
At the press conference, Abbott said people have COVID fatigue.
"They’re tired of wearing a face mask," he said. "They’re tired of leading more constricted lives. They’re tired of not being able to gather together with friends. And we get that. But the COVID disease doesn’t care about COVID fatigue."
He warned Texans to continue taking precautions – especially during Labor Day weekend, noting the state saw a spike in cases after Memorial Day.
Abbott visited El Paso the same day county leaders announced 20 additional deaths from the virus, bringing the total to 330.
Judge Jenkins: Dallas County Guidelines For In-Person School Will Be Available Next Week
Dallas Health and Human Services will issue guidelines next week for schools to follow once the restriction of virtual-only learning ends.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the guidelines should help parents struggling with whether or not they should send their child to school.
"Almost everyone is following the health guidelines to not start in-person instruction until Sept. 8, which means that you need to make a decision by Aug. 25, which means we need to get you this information as soon as possible," he said.
County health director Dr. Phillip Huang also recommended Dallas County teachers get tested in the next couple of days if they've been exposed to the virus.
Thursday, August 13
Denton County Ties Single-Day Death Record
Denton County is reporting seven additional deaths today, tying yesterday’s record and bringing the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 countywide to 80.
The deaths reported today are described as:
- A Northlake man in his 70s
- Two women and a man in their 80s, and a woman in her 70s who lived at long term care facilities
- A Little Elm man in his 50s
- A man in his 60s who lived in southeast Denton County
“Though there have been a number of deaths reported this week in Denton County,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads said. “We remain cautiously optimistic about fewer new cases of COVID-19 being reported and the ongoing increase in the number of recoveries.”
There are 118 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county. This increases the cumulative, countywide total to 8,077 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
641 New Cases And 13 More Deaths In Dallas County
Dallas County is reporting 641 new cases, bringing the total confirmed case count countywide to 56,428, including 807 confirmed deaths.
‘The 641 new COVID-19 positive cases represents an increase from yesterday’s much lower total, but we are still seeing a steady decline in new daily cases from our record highs in early to mid-July,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said.
There are additional 13 deaths being reported today, those who’ve died are described as
- A Garland man in his 30s and one in his 60s who had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman and man in their 50s, a woman in her 80s, two women in their 60s and two women in their 70s who all had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Farmer’s Branch man in his 50s who had underlying high risk health conditions.
- An Irving man in his 90s who had underlying high risk health conditions..
- A Dallas woman in her 80s who lived at a long-term care facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Garland man in his 80s who did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 8 More Deaths, 355 New Cases
Tarrant County reported eight more deaths today. Those who died are described as: three women from Fort Worth in their 80s, one woman from Fort Worth in her 70s, a man from Grapevine in his 70s, a man from Azle in his 60s, a woman from Kennedale in her 60s and a man from Fort Worth in his 50s. All had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County now has 442 confirmed deaths from the virus, there have been 35,129 confirmed cases in the county and 25,045 people have recovered.
Collin County Reports 149 New Cases, 1 More Death
There are 149 new confirmed cases in Collin County today, bringing the total confirmed countywide to 8,445, including 94 deaths.
DeSoto Schools Change Reopening Plan: Online-Only First 4 Weeks
DeSoto ISD has modified the district's reopening schedule — all students will start school Sept. 8 as previously planned, but the first four weeks will be online only, through Oct. 2.
The school district will not offer an on-campus learning option during that time "as a result of recent trends related to COVID-19 cases in Dallas County," a press release from the district stated.
During the four weeks, the district said it will continue to monitor Dallas County health guidance. With board approval, the district will decide mid-September whether to extend at-home virtual learning for all students through Oct. 30 or to offer on-campus learning to families who selected that option.
This PDF document details DeSoto ISD's phased reopening plan, as of Wednesday, showing what opens when and the actions the district plans to take during each phase.
Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent Scribner told parents during a virtual meeting Tuesday that his district would start the school year online-only, too.
American Airlines Considering Cutting Flights To Many Smaller Cities
Fort Worth-based American Airlines is considering dropping flights to up to 30 smaller U.S. cities this fall. A federal requirement to keep flying to those cities expires at the end of next month unless it is extended by Congress.
U.S. airlines were required to maintain flights to all the cities they served before the pandemic as a condition of getting $25 billion in money to help cover payrolls. American Airlines got $5.8 billion. But that money, and the requirement to keep serving smaller cities, ends on Sept. 30.
Airlines and their unions are asking for $25 billion more to cover payrolls through next March.
— Associated Press
Texas Surpasses 9,000 Deaths As Testing Remains Low
Texas has surpassed 9,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths while testing continues dropping to the lowest levels since June.
Texas on Wednesday reported 324 additional deaths, a new single-day record. That brings the total number of new deaths added from COVID-19 over the past week alone to more than 1,600. Some of those deaths occurred in July, when Texas began waiting on death certificates to add to the total number of fatalities.
Officials in regions hard hit this summer by the virus, including Houston and the Rio Grande Valley, say trends are improving after weeks of overcrowded hospitals and alarming rises in new cases.
— Associated Press
Wednesday, August 12
Denton County Adds 7 New Deaths
The seven new deaths reported in Denton County comprise its highest one-day total for the county. It brings Denton County's total death count to 73.
The people who died were:
• A male in his 70s who was a resident of Little Elm
• A male over 80 who was a resident of a care center in Highland Village
• A female in her 60s who was a resident of a care center in Carrollton
• A female in her 50s who was a resident of Carrollton
• A male over 80 who was a resident of Frisco
• A female in her 40s who was a resident of Lewisville
• A male in his 60s who was a resident of Lewisville
Denton County Public Health also reported 92 new cases, bringing its cumulative case total to 7,959.
7 New Deaths In Tarrant County
Tarrant County reports 405 new cases and 7 deaths. That brings the total cumulative case number to 34,774 and the total death count to 434.
Collin County Reports 3 Deaths
The three deaths reported on the Collin County COVID-19 dashboard today brings the countywide death total to 93. Four deaths were reported on Tuesday.
The county reports 269 new cases, bringing the county's case total — recovered, current and deaths since counting began — to 8,313.
DART Is Installing Mask and Sanitizer Dispensers In Its Vehicles
Dallas Area Rapid Transit has begun installing face mask and hand sanitizer dispensers on all buses, light rail vehicles and streetcars.
DART said it plans to have dispensers installed in all of its vehicles by the end of August or early September. It has over 600 buses, 160 light rail vehicles and four Dallas streetcars.
Other already-existing protocols include cleaning and removing vehicles from service that have been exposed.
Riders can report hygiene concerns, such as a surface that needs cleaning, or safety issues using the Dallas-Fort Worth area transit agency's DART Say Something app.
Dallas County Reports 234 New Cases Today, 9 Deaths
The 234 additional cases Dallas County Health and Human Services reported today brings the county's total cumulative case number to 55,787.
There were also nine confirmed deaths, making Dallas County's total death count 794.
• A man in his 30s who was a resident of Garland
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of Irving
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of DeSoto
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of Duncanville
• A man in his 50s who was a resident of Dallas
• A man in his 50s who was a resident of Dallas
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of Dallas
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of Dallas
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of Dallas
Billy Bob's Reopens Thursday, Focuses On Food To Be COVID-Compliant
Billy Bob's Texas, the legendary Fort Worth Stockyards honkytonk, says it will reopen tomorrow — as a restaurant-first venue.
The venue's been closed since June, when Governor Greg Abbott ordered bars to shut down because of the pandemic. Billy Bob's said it obtained a new permit that will allow it to operate under Food & Beverage guidelines.
Now it's shifting focus on its restaurant, Honky Tonk Kitchen, which opens at 11 a.m. Thursday.
The first concert will be Friday night, featuring the Bellamy Brothers.
Cook Children's Hospital Shares Numbers On Testing, Cases
Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth has begun releasing data about COVID-19 testing and cases the hospital is treating.
As of Wednesday morning, 14,094 children have been tested for COVID-19, and 993 were positive. Its percent of positivity from its testing has dropped to 7%, the hospital reports.
There are currently five COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Cook Children's.
What Needs To Happen For Bars To Open In Texas?
As the pandemic continues, Governor Greg Abbott says several things need to happen first in order for bars to reopen in Texas.
Bars could reopen "if we were able to get to a positivity rate of well below 10% and maintain that positivity rate, [and] if we were able to get a situation where we were in the May timeframe of low hospitalizations because of COVID-19 and sustain those rates for a long period of time," he said.
Abbott added that bars would also have to follow the safety protocols outlined in his executive order, which includes not talking to others without a mask.
Bars have been shut down since late June. A group of Texas bar owners filed lawsuits soon after, seeking to overturn that order.
RELATED | Restaurants, Bars And Breweries Scramble To Reinvent Themselves To Get Around Abbott's Bar Shutdown
Governor Calls For State-Supplied PPE In All Texas Schools
Governor Greg Abbott says all schools across Texas should have personal protective equipment, supplied by the state.
He spoke about it on Tuesday during a stop in Victoria.
“I can tell you that there should be no school that is still waiting for PPE," he said. "If there is still a school that does not have PPE they should contact Chief Nim Kid from the Texas Division of Emergency Management."
There have been reports of delays of certain PPE to school districts, like Edna ISD, which is 100 miles southwest of Houston, near Victoria.
Meanwhile, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd has promised to send face shields there today. He said 46 warehouses in Texas are stockpiled with hundreds of millions of masks and face shields.
Survey: COVID-19 Is Disproportionately Affecting Houston's Hispanic Businesses
More than half of Hispanic business owners say their sales have dropped during the pandemic, and more than one-third have furloughed or laid off most of their workforce.
Pablo Pinto directs the University of Houston's Center for Public Policy, which conducted the survey in June and July.
"The stay-at-home and social [distancing] and uncertainty about the probability of catching the disease has refused a lot of consumption that tends to go to smaller and medium-sized businesses," he said. "And Hispanics tend to be over-represented in that sector."
Hispanics make up nearly 44% of the population in Harris County, making them the largest ethnic group there. About 38% of small business owners in Greater Houston are Hispanic or Latino.
Tuesday, August 11
Dallas County Reports 30 Deaths
Dallas County Health and Human Services reports 298 additional confirmed cases of as of 11 a.m. today. That is lower than in recent days: 581 on Monday, 843 on Sunday and 540 on Saturday.
However today's death count, 30, is higher than in recent days: one on Monday, four on Sunday and five on Saturday. It's among the highest one-day death totals for the county.
Demographic details of the 30 people who died include:
• 19 men
• 11 women
• Two people in their 30s
• Two people in their 40s
• Four people in their 50s
• Six people in their 60s
• Six people in their 70s
• Eight people in their 80s
• One person in her 90s
• One person in her 100s
• 19 people in the city of Dallas
• Two people each in Garland, Mesquite, Richardson
• One person each in Wilmer, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, DeSoto
Dallas County's total cumulative number of confirmed cases is now 55,553. The death total is now 785.
Denton County Adds 122 New Cases, 4 Deaths
The four new deaths in the county brings its total death count to 66, Denton County Public Health reported today. DCPH also reported 122 new cases, bringing the county's cumulative case total to 7,867.
The people who died were:
• A male in his 60s who was a resident of Lewisville
• A female over 80 who was a resident of a nursing care center in Highland Village
• A male in his 40s who was a resident of Highland Village
• A female in her 70s who was a resident of a nursing and rehab center in Carrollton
226 New Cases In Collin County, 4 Deaths
The 226 new cases reported today brings Collin County's cumulative total — active, recovered and deaths since counting began — to 8,052. Four new reported deaths brings the county's death total to 93.
Tarrant County Adds 204 New Cases
The 204 additional confirmed cases reported by Tarrant County today brings its cumulative total to 34,369. The death total stands at 427.
6 Downtown Dallas Museums Begin Reopening This Week
Six major museums in downtown Dallas issued a collective announcement Sunday morning: They will begin welcoming back visitors starting this week.
The museums are the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Sixth Floor Museum.
They worked together to stagger their opening dates over the next several months. The DMA and the Holocaust and Human Rights Museum will open first, on Friday. The Nasher will follow on Thursday, August 20.
Hear or read more about the reopenings on Art&Seek.
2 Carroll ISD Staff Members Test Positive
Two staff members with the Carroll school district, which serves the majority of Southlake and part of Grapevine, Colleyville and Westlake, tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Julie Thannum with the district told the Dallas Morning Newsthe employee at Eubanks Intermediate School who tested positive had been in meetings and close contact with a small number of staff members, so they had to quarantine.
Thannum said no one else was considered to be in close contact with a staffer at Carroll Elementary School.
Carroll ISD staff returned to work today. Students are set to return for in-person instruction Aug. 24.
COVID-19 Testing Could Increase As Schools Reopen, Governor Says
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott says coronavirus testing in Texas could increase as schools reopen amid a sharp drop-off in the number of tests in recent weeks.
Texas has averaged more than 34,000 tests a day over the past week. That's down from a daily average of more than 60,000 in late July.
New cases and hospitalizations have stabilized and decreased, and coronavirus deaths in Texas have reached nearly 8,500.
— Associated Press
Dallas Holding Workshop To Discuss COVID-Strained Budget
The city of Dallas today will holds its first budget workshop.
Mayor Eric Johnson said money's tight because of COVID-19. He told NBC-5 he wants to cut salaries of the highest-paid employees at City Hall by 25% to help make up budget shortfalls.
"We should be cutting from the bureaucracy before we start talking about cutting services or raising taxes," he said.
But Johnson also supports expanding RIGHT Care, the program that trains police officers to respond to mental health emergencies.
The budget workshop began this morning at 9 a.m.
Tarrant County And City Of Fort Worth Consider New Budgets
Tarrant County's also begun budget discussions for the next fiscal year.
County commissioners yesterday talked about keeping the tax rate the same for the third straight year and increasing the budget by $18 million.
That would include adding 25 new positions and a 3% merit increase for non-law enforcement positions.
The coronavirus recession didn't have a big impact on Tarrant County because more than 70% of its revenue comes from property taxes.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the budget Sept. 8.
And in Fort Worth, City Manager David Cooke will present the recommended new budget today, too.
Jury Trials, Now By Video Conference, Are Starting Back Up In Austin And San Antonio
Courts in two Texas cities are getting ready for their first completely virtual trials.
Angela Morris with Texas Law magazine told public radio's Texas Standard the pandemic's prevented many jury trials in Texas, but that's about to change.
"Under this experimental jury trial program that's been running this summer, in Austin and in San Antonio in the next two weeks, there are going to be two totally virtual jury trials done over Zoom," Morris said. "The jury selection, the presentation of evidence, the verdict, all of it is going to be virtual."
Morris said courts are hoping virtual jury trials can help work through a backlog of pending cases across Texas.
Texas Democratic Party Conducting Mail-In Ballot Outreach
The Texas Democratic Party is targeting voters this month who are eligible to cast ballots by mail in the November general election.
Spokesperson Abhi Rahman says, under Texas law, that includes voters who are at least 65 years old or have a disability.
"So the Texas Democratic Party is going to send 1.75 million applications to voters that are eligible to receive vote-by-mail applications, and we think it's going to be a huge push to win the state," Rahman said. "This is really our X-factor and something that we're doing that no one else is doing on the Republican side."
Texas Democrats are also suing to allow all voters in the state cast absentee ballots. Texas Republican leaders have resisted calls to expand voting by mail during the pandemic.
Monday, August 10
581 New Confirmed Cases In Dallas County, 1 Death
Dallas County Health and Human Services reports 581 additional confirmed cases and one confirmed death. That brings the cumulative case total to 55,255 and the confirmed death count to 756.
The woman who died was a resident of Seagoville in her 90s.
By comparison: On Sunday, Dallas County reported 843 new cases and four additional deaths. On Saturday, 540 new cases and five deaths were reported.
Denton County Adds 101 New Cases
Denton County Public Health reports 101 new cases, bringing the county's cumulative, countywide total to 7,745.
On Friday there will be a free drive-through COVID-19 testing center starting at 8 a.m. at Univeristy of North Texas' Discovery Park campus, 3940 N. Elm St. Pre-registration is required by calling 940-349-2585. Testing is available only to residents with symptoms or residents in contact with someone who's been diagnosed.
305 New Cases In Tarrant County
The 305 additional cases reported today brings Tarrant County's cumulative total — current, recovered and deaths since counting began — to 34,165.
Collin County Reports 1 Death And 180 New Cases
Collin County has had 180 new cases and one death in the last 24 hours, according to its COVID-19 dashboard. That brings the county's total cumulative case count to 7,833 and its total death count to 90.
Study Finds COVID-19 Transmission Decreased When Weather Was Nicer
Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are studying how weather affects transmission of the coronavirus.
One finding showed transmission of the virus decreased in the spring, when temperatures were between 60 and 70 degrees.
But Brian Fisher, one of the researchers, says if temperatures go higher, transmission can also go up because of the way people behave.
"In those nicer, warmer or humid months we may actually a) be more likely to go outside and gather in large groups or b) be pushed inside to air conditioned areas and get in closer proximity to each other," Fisher said. "And both of those things are probably not great for viral transmission risk."
Fisher says when temperatures drop again in the fall, case numbers could decline as well.
But he warns against being too optimistic. He added the only way to guarantee case numbers will decline is to stay home, practice good hand hygiene and wear a face mask.
Some Texas School Districts Start This Week, Like Corpus Christi, While Others Delay
While a number of Texas school districts have delayed the first day of the 2020-2021 academic year until September, some are starting this week. That includes Corpus Christi ISD.
In a video, Superintendent Dr. Roland Hernandez discussed precautions the district is taking amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"For the first few weeks we'll start remote learning and then on September 8, we'll begin our face-to-face instruction for the students choosing to come back to school," he said.
The first day of school for Corpus Christi students is Thursday.
Dallas Mayor Named To National COVID-19 And Criminal Justice Commission
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson was recently chosen to be part of a 14-member National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice.
The bipartisan group, led by former U.S. Attorneys General Loretta Lynch and Alberto Gonzalez, is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system.
"I am honored to have been asked to participate in this distinguished and diverse group as we analyze and discuss solutions to two of the biggest issues facing our country," Johnson said in a statement. "We have critical work ahead of us to keep the public safe, to build equity, and to address systemic racial issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shaken Dallas and created significant need in our communities.”
The Commission recently released two reports: COVID-19 and Crime, and State and Local Budgets.
Sunday, Aug. 9
843 New Cases And 4 More Deaths In Dallas County
Dallas County is reporting 843 new cases and four additional deaths. This brings the total confirmed case count in the county to 54,674, including 755 confirmed deaths.
The four people who’ve died are described as:
- A Balch Springs man in his 50s.
- An Irving man in his 60s with underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 60s.
- A Grand Prairie woman in her 70s with underlying high risk health conditions.
Tarrant County Reports 491 New Cases, 1 Additional
There are 491 new COVID-19 cases in Tarrant county today and another resident has died. This brings the countywide total to 33,860, including 422 deaths.
215 New Cases In Collin County
Collin County is reporting 215 new cases today. The countywide total is now 7,654 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 89 deaths.
Denton County Reporting 58 New Cases
There are 58 new confirmed cases in Denton County today. This increases the cumulative, countywide total to 7,644 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 62 deaths.
Gov. Abbott Extends Disaster Declaration
Gov. Greg Abbott has extended the disaster declaration originally issued March 13. The order makes a variety of state resources available to combat the pandemic.
“Renewing this disaster declaration will provide communities with the resources they need to respond to COVID-19," Abbott said in a statement. "I urge Texans to remain vigilant in our fight against this virus.”
There have been over 496,000 confirmed cases of the disease in the Lone Star State.
President Trump Signs Executive Actions Extending Financial Relief & Benefits.
Saturday, President Trump signed four executive actions to provide economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. The actions amount to a stopgap measure, after failing to secure an agreement with Congress.
The three memorandums and one executive order call for extending enhanced unemployment benefits, taking steps to stop evictions, continuing the suspension of student loan repayments, and deferring payroll taxes.
Read the full story from NPR news.
Read More: A Timeline Of COVID-19's Spread In North Texas
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