This week, Denton and Collin Counties reported their first COVID-19 cases, and customs lines at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport stretched on for hours.
Get the latest news from our COVID-19 Live Updates page.
Sunday, March 15
Texas Nursing Homes Will No Longer Allow Visitors
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services isrestricting nursing home access to staff, designated medical professionals and other providers of key services.
The HHSC encourages nursing homes to help residents use apps like Skype and Facetime to talk with their family and friends.
Nursing homes are now required to screen everyone who would like to enter, including all staff members, for symptoms of COVID-19.
Facilities with a history of infection control problems will be under the microscope with the new policies. The state will inspect facilities that were hit with violations over the last three years.
Texas Organizations Collaborate To Launch A Website Of Food Sites For Children
The Baylor University Collaborative On Hunger and Poverty haslaunched a website with an updated list of sites where schools will have meals available for students who typically rely on the school cafeteria for food.
The list will be updated with site locations and times when food will be available under the “School Food Resources” tab, according to a press release.
“We are working with state and local officials to ensure all children in Texas have ample food access during school closures due to COVID-19,” said Jeremy Everett, executive director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. “In most communities, parents and guardians can take their children to pick up a sack breakfast or lunch from their local school or designated pick-up site.”
After hundreds of Texas school districts closed due to the coronavirus, a coalition of schools, state and federal agencies, advocacy groups and nonprofits are collaborating to ensure children and families have access to meals.
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced on Friday that it had been granted a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture child nutrition programs. The waiver will allow the TDA to grant schools the freedom to provide meals on a case-by-case basis while schools remain closed.
Important information regarding meal access:
- Children need to be present to receive free meals.
- Meals are available for children and teenagers under the age of 18.
- If schools are serving both breakfast and lunch, these meals are not necessarily served at the same time. Please refer to the “School Food Resources” tab for site-specific distribution information.
- If a school district or community is not represented, visit the “Share with Us” tab and tell us what you know. As appropriate, it will be added to the site.
- If an individual or family needs food resources, they can complete the form on the “I Need Help” tab. If the Collaborative knows of resources in the area, the individual will be contacted.
6:36 p.m. — Denton County Reports Its First Case; Collin County Reports New Case
Denton County announced its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on Sunday.
The patient is a man in his 30s who resides outside of Denton County. However, he is temporarily living in Double Oak, where he is in isolation.
“DCPH is identifying and contacting individuals who may have been exposed,” according to the press release. “Any individuals identified as having been exposed will be contacted directly by DCPH.”
Denton County Judge Andy Eads announced a disaster declaration over the coronavirus on Friday.
Denton County Public Health has identified the first presumptive positive, travel-related case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Denton County on Sunday, March 15, 2020.https://t.co/5KddKjwdxbpic.twitter.com/7Qz0E22qA0
— Denton County, Texas (@DentonCountyTX)March 15, 2020
Nearby, Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties had been reporting presumptive cases since last week.
Meanwhile, the Collin County Health Department announced on Sunday the county's eighth presumptive positive case of COVID-19. The patient is a 32-year-old Frisco man who has no underlying health conditions and is self-isolating. He is not connected to other cases in the area, according to the health department.
5:42 p.m. — City Of Dallas Opens Temporary Overnight Shelter
The office of Mayor Eric Johnson announced on Sunday evening that it is opening the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas as a temporary overnight shelter.
The shelter will have extra bed capacity to make up for the beds lost at overnight shelters that are taking social distancing precautions, according to the mayor's office.
The shelter will be open at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 through the morning of Saturday, March 21. During this period, the shelter will continue overnight sheltering operations from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day.
11:15 a.m. — DFW Airport Customs Lines Stretch For Hours
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is one of 13 across the country where international flights are being sent and returning travelers are undergoing special screening for coronavirus symptoms. That's producing hours-long waits for people coming back into the country.
"I spent three or more hours in the most disgusting close contact with strangers that I've ever experienced,”passenger Emma Swaim told KERA's Hady Mawajdeh.
The Dallas Morning Newsis also covering the story locally. NPR has more on the additional travel restrictionsimposed Saturday.
9:47 a.m. — Dallas, Tarrant and Collin Counties Announce New Cases
Dallas County has announced three more travel-related presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.
They are all men -- one in his 30s, one in his 50s, and one in his 60s. Two are hospitalized; the other is self-isolating at home.
A county news release says one patient lives in Coppell and one is in Dallas. The other lives out-of-state.
One case is linked to international travel, one to domestic travel and one to cruise travel.
In total, Dallas County has reported 14 presumptive positive cases.
Tarrant County announced its fourth positive case -- a close contact to the American Airlines pilot who tested positive earlier in the week. The pilot is an out-of-state resident.
“The fourth COVID-19 case was isolated at home and then developed symptoms,” Vinny Taneja, Tarrant County public health director, said in a news release. “No one at DFW Airport came in contact with the fourth patient since symptoms developed.”
The Collin County Health Department announced its seventh presumptive positive case.
The patient is a 56-year-old man in Plano who has no underlying health conditions. He is quarantined in his home, according to the county’s health department.
There are currently seven confirmed presumptive positive cases in Collin County and 63 people are being monitored by the county.
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Johnson says that Dallas County Health and Human Services reports that 60 people have been tested for COVID-19 through its lab.
12:04 a.m. — More North Texas School Districts Extend Spring Break
Over a dozen school districts in North Texas are announcing an extension of spring break. Large gatherings including meetings, campus events, practices and other extracurricular activities are also being suspended.
Here are the school districts which have announced spring break extensions so far:
- Allen ISD
- Arlington ISD
- Coppell ISD
- Denton ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Garland ISD
- Irving ISD
- McKinney ISD
- Plano ISD
- Prosper ISD
- Rockwall ISD
- Wylie ISD
Saturday, March 14
10 a.m. — No Catholic Masses In Dallas Through March 30
Edward Burnsannounced Friday night that public masses in the Diocese of Dallas will be suspended through March 30. Catholic schools in the diocese will be shuttered until at least March 27. Virus-spurred shutdowns are causing places of worship across the faith spectrum togo virtual with online services.
Denton County also joined municipalities across Texas and the country in issuing an emergency declaration.The county's declaration recommends postponement or cancellation of any gathering of more than 250 people.
Friday, March 13
4:15 p.m. — Fort Worth Mayor Besty Price Issues Declaration
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price issued a State of Emergency for the city of Fort Worth. Gatherings of 250 or more people are cancelled. Smaller groups should take extra precautions.
All non-essential city services are cancelled or postponed. She said she encourages local businesses to let employees have flexible hours, work from home or spread apart.
3:05 p.m. — President Trump Declares A National Emergency Over The Coronavirus
On Friday afternoon, President Trump declared a national emergency as the coronavirus continues to spread across the nation.
He said the move would allow him to get up to $50 billion to states, territories and localities "in our shared fight against this disease."
Watch the livestreamhere.
2:27 p.m. — City Of Dallas Closes Parks, Libraries And Cultural Facilities
The city of Dallas issued a press release Friday announcing the closing of city facilities through Friday, March 20. Those facilities include:
- Libraries
- Parks
- Cultural centers
- Recreation centers
- Athletic fields
For more information, visit thecity's website.
12:15 p.m. — Gov. Greg Abbott Declares A State Of Emergency
Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for all counties in Texas due to the coronavirus and COVID-19.
11:14 a.m. — School Districts Across North Texas Are Extending Spring Break
Nearly a dozen school districts in North Texas are announcing an extension of spring break. Large gatherings including meetings, campus events, practices and other extracurricular activities are also being suspended.
Here are the school districts which have announced spring break extensions so far:
- Plano ISD
- Fort Worth ISD
- McKinney ISD
- Allen ISD
- Frisco ISD
- Prosper ISD
- Wylie ISD
- Rockwall ISD
- Arlington ISD
10:35 a.m. — Mayor Eric Johnson Explains The City's Emergency Declaration
During a press conference on Friday morning, Mayor Eric Johnson talked about the proclamation he issued last night announcing a state of emergency in Dallas.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Johnson said during the press conference. “I thought long and hard about this.”
Johnson said he had plans to meet with business leaders later today to talk about “how to cushion the blow” to lower-income people in the community.
Johnson has also asked the city manager to order all public, private and commercial labs to report the results of their coronavirus tests daily to the city.
"This proclamation guarantees that your city leaders will have the authority to take quick, responsible, decisive actions to protect the health safety and welfare of everyone in Dallas," he said.
The disaster order is in place for the next seven days, but Johnson said the city council could vote to extend it.
Thursday, March 12
11:12 p.m. — Emergency Declaration Follows Five More Cases
Dallas County's chief executive announced five more "presumptive positive" cases of COVID-19 in the coronavirus outbreak anddeclared a public health emergency. That means no gatherings of 500 people or more after 11 a.m. Friday.
Dallas County officials saida case of community spread has occured in North Texas. Among the five people who preliminarily tested positive, one person had no recent travel history.
5:26 p.m. — Dallas County Cancels Some Jury Trials
Dallas County is canceling civil jury trials for the George Allen Civil Courthouse and all the Justice of the Peace Courts until April 13, 2020. According to the county’s statement, citizens summoned to appear before April 13 should not try to reschedule.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said while the county will suspend all civil jury trials, it will not suspend all criminal jury trials.
“At this time, I have decided not to suspend all criminal jury trials as the inability to guarantee a speedy trial could result in cases being dismissed,” Jenkins said in the statement.
Jenkins said the county will take other precautionary measures like modifying jury trial selection by not using the Central Jury Room, where there have been large group gatherings. He said in the statement that the county will be monitoring the situation and will make future adjustments.
NHL and MLB Follow NBA In Suspending Their Seasons
The National Hockey League and Major League Baseball suspended their seasons on Thursday.
The sports organizations followed the NBA, which suspended its season Wednesday after a Utah Jazz player preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus. The team announced on Thursday that a second player tested positive after the entire traveling team was tested.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettmanissued a statement about the 2019-20 hockey season.
"Following last night's news that an NBA player has tested positive for coronavirus — and given that our leagues share so many facilities and locker rooms and it now seems likely that some member of the NHL community would test positive at some point — it is no longer appropriate to try to continue to play games at this time," Bettman said in the press release.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. also announced today that MLB has suspended Spring Training games and will delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks. The decision was made jointly after a call with the 30 clubs and the players association, apress release issued by MLB said.
Curious Whether Events Have Been Postponed Or Canceled?
KERA's Art & Seek team is tracking the latest announcements. The Kimbell Art Museum, The Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Art Fair have already announced cancelations.
Stay updated on the latest here.
North Texas Universities Move Classes Online
Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the University of North Texas and Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth have announced they are moving their classes online as a preventive measure against the coronavirus.
Over adozen Texas universities have announced they are extending Spring Break and moving their classes online. Many schools across the state have also canceled events, banned large meetings, upgraded their sanitation measures and restricted school sponsored-travel.
Wednesday, March 11
4:45 p.m. — Dallas County Reports 3rd 'Presumptive' Coronavirus Case
According to a statement from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, local health officials have confirmed a third "presumptive positive" case of COVID-19 in the county. The individual, who is in their 50s, is believed to have come into contact with the virus while traveling out of state.
The statement said all the cases in the county recorded so far are not indicative of community spread of the virus, and Dallas County Health and Human Services has notified anyone who's been in close contact with the individual while in Texas.
3:40 p.m. — Dallas Cancels St. Patrick's Day Parade
The City of Dallas has canceled Saturday's St. Patrick's Day Parade and block party.
In a statement released Wednesday, the city said it and Dallas County Health and Human Services conducted a "thorough review" of the event and concluded it shouldn't move forward.
“Canceling the St. Patrick’s Day parade and block party was not an easy decision, but it is the correct and responsible decision,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in the statement. “While our region still has only a few ‘presumptive positive’ COVID-19 cases that appear to be related to travel, we are actively making contingency plans for the spread of this illness.
Johnson said the city talked with Gov. Abbott and reviewed how COVID-19 has spread in other cities before making the final decision.
"An event of this scale, without adequate public health protections, cannot be allowed to occur at this time," Johnson said. "Our primary concern is the health, safety, and welfare of our residents, and we will continue to take action accordingly.”
Kevin Vela is board chairman of the Greenville Avenue Area Business Association, which sponsors the parade. He said in a statement Tuesday though disappointed the event won't happen, "nothing is more important than the health of our fellow citizens."
Vela said he was more concerned about the event's philanthropic purpose: donating profits to go toward scholarships for Dallas ISD seniors.
"Since we won't have a parade this year, we are asking our great community to contribute to a GoFundMe campaign, so that we can continue the great tradition of awarding scholarships to deserving Dallas high school seniors," he said. "Our goal this year is to raise $41,000 in honor of what would have been our 41st parade.”
The city said the question of if other mass gatherings will be canceled is being evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Tuesday, March 10
Dallas And Tarrant Counties Report Their First 'Presumptive Positive' Cases Of Coronavirus.
Officials in Dallas and Tarrant counties on Tuesday reported their first "presumptive positive" cases of coronavirus.
In the first Dallas County case, the person presumed to have COVID-19 is a 77-year-old traveler from out of state who has extensive travel history, officials said in a statement. The individual is being treated in a local hospital and has been isolated. Later Tuesday, Dallas County announced that a second individual in their 50s — who came into close contact with the person in the initial case — also tested positive.
In the Tarrant County case, health officials say the patient is in isolation at a local hospital and is being monitored by staff. Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) is waiting to confirm the initial results with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Collin County Officials Confirm Two Additional Cases Of Coronavirus.
Tuesday, Collin County officials confirmed two additional cases of coronavirus. They are family members of the Frisco man identified Monday as a “presumptive positive” case.
The man, in his mid 30s, had recently traveled to California. He was identified Monday as the first “presumptive positive” case of COVID-19 in North Texas.
The man is believed to have been exposed to the virus on a business trip to Silicon Valley.
What's Been Happening Around Texas
Officials in East Texas have confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 in Gregg County. The North East Texas Public Health Districtreleased a statement Tuesday saying the positive result was confirmed by the CDC and the person is believed to have been exposed to the virus through travel inside the U.S.
The person had mild symptoms and is in isolation at home, according to the statement.
Roughly 100 passengers are beingevacuated to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio from the Grand Princess — a cruise ship docked off the California coast where roughly 20 people were infected with the coronavirus.
In Texas, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he is more confident in the protocols adopted by health officials this time. Last week,health officials were heavily criticized after one evacuee was released into the city, only to be diagnosed later.
“They will stay on the base and not be transported around the city of San Antonio,” Wolff said. “So I personally feel a lot more confident about it. As long as all these things get done, as they say they will do.”
Inthe Houston area, the 12 presumptive positive cases of coronavirus are all travel-related. All who are presumed to have the virus were passengers on the same Nile cruise line in Egypt. The city alsocanceled the remaining Houston Rodeo dates on March 11.
The technology, music and film festivalSouth By Southwest in Austin has been canceled because of concerns about the coronavirus.
“’The show must go on’ is in our DNA, and this is the first time in 34 years that the March event will not take place,” SXSW organizers said in a statement.
Gov. Gregg Abbott and the Texas Department of Insuranceannounced Monday that they've asked health insurance companies to waive the cost of coronavirus testing and virtual office visits for patients.
"We must ensure no Texan is denied access to testing resources relating to coronavirus," Abbott said in a statement. "Texans who are concerned that they may have coronavirus should seek medical attention in the most appropriate setting."
