COVID-19 In DFW Sept. 13-19: Dallas County Sees Fewer Cases

KERA

Published September 19, 2020 at 1:43 PM CDT

A researcher holds a tube containing the coronavirus.

This week the total positive cases and deaths continued to trend downward.

Saturday, Sept. 19

Dallas County Reports 156 Additional Cases, 4 Deaths

There are 156 new cases in the county, increasing the total to 77,118. Of the 156 new cases reported today, four came through the state’s electronic reporting system. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said to see more businesses thrive and kids in school, residents need to take precautionary measures:

“To see less COVID-19 cases, more businesses open and thrive, and more kids in school, it’s very important that you continue to wear your mask and keep six feet distance, wash your hands frequently, avoid unnecessary trips, and avoid any indoor activities where people are not wearing their mask one hundred percent of the time. If we all make smart decisions, together we can get to a better place.”

Four deaths have been reported today:

Two Grand Prairie men in their 60s.
A Grand Prairie woman in her 60s.
A Grand Prairie woman in her 70s

387 New Cases In Tarrant County

There are 387 additional cases in the county, raising the total to 46,537. There have been 633 deaths and 40,840 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Collin County Reports 82 New Cases

An additional 82 cases in the area raises the total to 12,843. There have been 137 deaths and 90 people who have been hospitalized.

60 Cases In Denton County

There are 60 more cases in the county, bringing the total to 11,501. There have been 67 newly-recovered cases, increasing the countywide recovery total to 9,870.

A free drive-thru testing center will be open in Flower Mound on September 22. Pre-registration is required and appointments are available starting at 8 a.m.

The testing center will be held at Bakersfield Park at 1201 Duncan Lane. Eligible community members are those who have had symptoms of COVID-19 within the past seven days, essential employees, individuals 60 years and older, as well as individuals who have had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. All community members must call to pre-register for testing at 940-349-2585.

Friday, Sept. 18

Dallas County Reports 355 New Cases, 4 Deaths

Another 355 cases in the county raises the total to 76,962. Of the new cases reported today, 101 came through the state’s electronic reporting system that has been experiencing a backlog.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the data shows a “positive trend of cases going down”, but he urged residents to continue taking precautions:

“As cases come in and are allotted by test dates to their CDC week, the numbers change some regularly, but it is enough to see that there is a positive trend of cases going down. Also, our positivity rate, which remains high at 10%, is down from 10.8% in the previous week. In order to continue to see gains, it’s very important that we continue to wear our mask and stay six feet apart.”

Four deaths have been reported today:

A Sunnyvale man in his 50s.
A Dallas man in his 60s.
An Irving woman in her 60s.
A Duncanville man in his 60s.

59 New Cases In Denton County

There are 59 additional cases in the area, increasing the total to 11,441. There have been 67 newly-recovered cases, raising the countywide recovery total to 9,803.

Tarrant County Reports 282 Additional Cases

An additional 282 cases in the area brings the total to 46,150. There have been four deaths today, including: a Hurst man in his 80s and three Fort Worth women, one in her 80s, one in her 70s and one in her 60s.

161 New Cases In Collin County

There are 161 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 12,760. There have been 136 deaths and 11,771 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Over 2,000 Students In Texas Have Tested Positive

More than 2,300 students in Texas schools have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the academic year.

That's out of the more than 1 million students who have resumed in-person classes.

The Texas Tribune reports the state yesterday released a dashboard in an effort to track COVID-19 cases in public schools.

The data also shows that more than 2,100 public school employees have reported testing positive for the virus.

State education officials say a weekly breakdown of cases by school district will be available next week.

Long-Term Care Facilities Set To Reopen After Gov. Abbott’s Order

Gov. Greg Abbott yesterday issued an executive order loosening some coronavirus restrictions for businesses — gyms, museums and libraries are included too.

Abbott's order will also open up long-term care facilities in Texas to visitors starting next Thursday — September 24.

That includes nursing homes and assisted living centers that serve residents without COVID-19, as well as those that have isolation wings for people who have tested positive for the virus.

Previously, visitors were allowed only into care facilities with no active COVID-19 cases.

Thursday, Sept. 17

Dallas County Reports 458 New Cases, 1 Death

There are 458 new cases in the county, bringing the total to 76,607. Of the 458 cases reported today, 316 of them came through the state’s electronic reporting system.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins responded to Gov. Abbott’s decision to allow increased capacity at businesses. He said the important thing to focus on “is not what is permissible but rather what is safe”:

“The Governor announced his decision to allow increasing capacity at businesses throughout the State. The important thing for the community to look at is not what is permissible but rather what is safe. This can be found on the color-coded chart atwww.DallasCountyCOVID.org.

Doctors say that it is best to only frequent indoor establishments where masks can be worn one hundred percent of the time, to choose patio or takeout dining over indoor dining at restaurants, and to frequent establishments where it’s possible to stay at least six feet away from other patrons.”

An additional death was reported today of a Dallas man in his 60s. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.

117 Additional Cases In Collin County

An additional 117 cases in the area raises the total to 12,599. There have been 133 deaths and 11,636 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Denton County Reports 65 New Cases

There are 65 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 11,382. There have also been 62 newly-recovered cases, increasing the countywide recovery total to 9,736.

A free drive-thru testing center will be available Friday, Sept. 18 at University of North Texas’ Discovery Park at 3940 N. Elm Street.

Pre-registration is required and appointments are available starting at 8 a.m. Eligible community members are those who have had symptoms of COVID-19 within the past seven days, essential employees, individuals 60 years and older, as well as individuals who have had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. All community members must call to pre-register for testing at 940-349-2585.

285 New Cases In Tarrant County

Another 283 cases in the area brings the total to 45,868. There have been 616 deaths and 40,330 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Dallas Housing Authority To Distribute More Than $4 Million In Rental Assistance

The Dallas Housing Authority is in the process of distributing more than $4 million dollars to families in need of temporary rental assistance due to COVID-19.

Troy Broussard, president of the DHA, told Dallas City Council members yesterday that the funding will be distributed through a lottery system.

"We've got about two million dollars of requests in the pipeline. First lottery we're planning for next week, and that has an estimated value of about a million dollars that we will be distributing to families that are eligible under the CARES Act..."

Assistance for each family is capped at $3,000.

How Years Of Underfunding Public Health Left Texas Ill Prepared For The Pandemic

In the spring, as public health officials were beginning to see the novel coronavirus spreading in Texas, Danny Updike had bad news and good news for health care workers in the San Angelo region where he works in emergency response.

The bad news was that the pandemic had brought a sudden shortage of masks, gowns, gloves and sanitizer as demand soared and imports from China ground to a halt. Prices on the private market were skyrocketing, and most of what remained in the shipping container that housed the region’s modest cache of personal protective equipment had expired after years of budget cuts prevented new purchases. Rubber parts were disintegrated, elastic bands rotted.

The good news: Some of the decade-old personal protective equipment was salvageable, and it had not yet been thrown away — another result of budget cuts.

“There really wasn’t a lot of money to pay to dispose of all that, so they had never done it, which turned out to be good,” said Updike, a former coordinator for the Hospital Preparedness Program in the region. “Most of the PPE in the Concho Valley, the first two months or month or so, they used mainly out of that.”

For more than a decade before the coronavirus pandemic, public health funding in Texas failed to keep up with the state’s growth and at times has seen hefty cuts. That was especially true in the federally funded Hospital Preparedness Program, which pays for stockpiles of protective equipment, medical machinery including ventilators and training to improve emergency response — the very things that were most needed as the pandemic began.

Read the full story by The Texas Tribune.

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Dallas County Reports 311 New Cases, 6 Deaths

There are 311 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 76,149. Of the 311 new cases reported today, 86 came through the state’s electronic reporting system that has been experiencing a backlog.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said although positive cases of school-aged children have decreased, the number of young adults who’ve tested positive has risen. With temperatures cooling, he encouraged residents to go outside more often to avoid indoor settings:

“Although COVID-19 cases in school-aged children ages 5-17 have gone down, we have seen a marked rise in the category of people age 18 and into their 20’s. For instance, the percentage of our positive cases of people from 18-22 has risen to 15% over the last two weeks. With the weather getting cooler, it is more comfortable to be outside and it’s very important to stay out of indoor settings where masks cannot be worn one hundred percent of the time.”

Six deaths have been reported today:

A Dallas man in his 60s
A Lancaster man in his 60s
A Mesquite man in his 70s
A Dallas woman in her 80s
A Dallas woman in her 90s
A Mesquite woman in her 90s

2 Deaths, 92 New Cases In Denton County

Two deaths were reported today in the area including: a Denton man in his 70s and a Denton woman over 80 who was a resident of Mayberry Gardens.

There are 92 additional cases in the county, bringing the total cases to 11,317.

Tarrant County Reports 420 New Cases, 4 Deaths

There are 420 additional cases in the county, bringing the total to 45,538. Four deaths were also reported today, including: a Fort Worth man in his 70s, a Southlake man in his 70s, a Fort Worth man in his 60s and a Fort Worth woman in her 50s.

All of the patients had underlying health conditions.

113 New Cases In Collin County

Another 113 cases in the county raises the total to 12,482. There have been 11,632 people who have recovered from the virus and 132 deaths in the area.

Fort Worth ISD To Resume In-Person Classes

The Fort Worth school district has voted to move forward with in-person learning next month.

In a split decision last night, the Fort Worth school board decided not to push back the October 5 start date by four weeks.

Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said the positivity rate in and around the district is still above 10%.

At that level, the county recommends online-only learning.

Taneja said the positivity rate could decrease in the weeks before classes resume but urged the district to have a Plan B if it doesn't.

Gov. Abbott Urges Texans To Get Flu Shots Amid Pandemic

Governor Greg Abbott is encouraging Texans to get the flu shot. He said it’s important to help keep hospitalizations down as the pandemic continues.

“Flu season is already here, and that means we all need to take extra care to stay healthy,” he said. “That's why I urge every Texan to go get a flu shot. I got mine today. I can tell you it is the best way to reduce your chances of contracting and spreading the flu.”

Abbott spoke on a public service announcement he released yesterday.

Tuesday, Sept. 15

Dallas County Reports 190 New Cases, 3 Deaths

There are 190 new cases in the area, bringing the total to 75,838. Of the 190 new cases reported today, 151 came through the state’s electronic reporting system which has been experiencing a backlog. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins warned today that the percentage of young adult cases has doubled since May:

“The percentage of cases occurring in young adults aged 18-22 years has doubled since May, increasing to 15% over the past two weeks. As we see more cases in young people, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 can be a very serious illness for people of any age and its long-term effects are unknown. Therefore, it’s important for all of us, whether child or adult, to wear a mask whenever around others outside our family unit and maintain six foot distance.”

Three deaths were reported today:

A Dallas man in his 50s
A Dallas woman in her 80s
A Dallas woman in her 80s

96 New Cases In Denton County

Another 96 cases in the area brings the total to 11,225. There have been 92 newly-recovered cases, increasing the countywide recovery total to 9,566.

A free drive-thru testing center will be available Friday, Sept. 18 at University of North Texas’ Discovery Park at 3940 N. Elm Street.

Tarrant County Reports 436 New Cases, 3 Deaths

There are 436 additional cases in the county, increasing the total to 45,163. Three deaths were reported today, including a Haltom City man in his 60s, a Fort Worth man in his 60s and a Mansfield woman in her 60s.

130 New Cases In Collin County

An additional 130 cases in the area raises the total to 12,369. There have been 129 deaths and 11,540 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Texas State Teachers Association Survey Shows Hundreds Of School Districts Are In Violation Of Safety Guidelines

A survey from the Texas State Teachers Association found more than a hundred school districts across the state are in violation of COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Clay Robison with TSTA said that includes a lack of mask enforcement, among other things:

“...Not enough hand sanitizing or face mask, and other protective equipment or sanitation supplies, not enough social distancing in a lot of districts, poor ventilation in districts.”

Robison said the top concern is not providing proper accommodations for high-risk employees.

Two More Staff Members Test Positive At Krum High School And Middle School

Krum High School and Middle School classes will be online-only through the end of next week after two more staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Four staff members from the middle school, two from the high school and a high school student had tested positive as of Sunday.

Krum's next two football games were also canceled. Other UIL sports will continue as scheduled.

Students at other Krum schools will continue in-person classes. The two closed campuses will reopen Monday, September 28.

Monday, Sept. 14

Dallas County Reports 440 New Cases, 3 Deaths

There are 440 additional cases in the area, bringing the total to 75,648. Of the 440 new cases reported today, 308 came through the state’s electronic reporting system and 100 were from previous months. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins urged residents to continue taking precautions as schools reopen and businesses resume operations:

“It continues to be important with schools opening and businesses getting back on better footing for everyone to wear a mask and maintain six-foot distancing when outside their home, use frequent hand-washing, avoid unnecessary crowds, and avoid any indoor setting where people cannot wear a mask one hundred percent of the time.”

The three additional deaths today include:

A Garland man in his 50s
A Dallas man in his 50s
A Farmers Branch man in his 70s

273 New Cases In Tarrant County

Another 273 cases in the area raises the total to 44,727. There have been 605 deaths and 39,395 people who have recovered from the virus in the area.

Collin County Reports 238 Additional Cases

An additional 238 cases in the area raises the total to 12,239. There have been 124 deaths and 11,257 people who have recovered from the virus in the county.

116 New Cases In Denton County

The county reported 116 additional cases, bringing the total to 11,130. There have been 89 newly-recovered cases, increasing the countywide recovery total to 9,474.

A free drive-thru testing center will be available Friday, Sept. 18 at University of North Texas’ Discovery Park at 3940 N. Elm Street.

Pandemic-Related Measure Expels Over 8,000 Unaccompanied Children

About 8,800 unaccompanied children have been quickly expelled from the United States along the Mexico border under a pandemic-related measure that effectively ended asylum.

The disclosure came from the government's appeal of an order to stop using hotels for long-term detention of children.

The Trump administration has also expelled more than 7,600 people who came in families since the public health emergency order took effect in March.

The administration has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a ruling that found use of hotels skirted fundamental humanitarian protections.

Sunday, Sept. 13

Tarrant County Reports 314 New Cases, 2 Deaths

Tarrant County reports 314 new cases and two additional deaths. This brings the countywide total of cases to 44,454 and 605 deaths.

Dallas County Reports 156 New Cases, 3 Deaths

After reporting 156 new cases today, Dallas County now has a cumulative total of 75,052 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 973 deaths.

Three deaths are also reported. They include:

A Dallas man in his 50s who was a resident of a long-term care facility.
A Dallas woman in her 50s who had been critically ill in an
area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
A Garland man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.

Collin County Reports 15 New Cases, 2 Deaths

Collin County is reporting 15 new cases. This brings the countywide total of cases to 12,001 and 124 deaths.

*As of 9 p.m. Sunday, Denton County had not updated the COVID-19 numbers.

AstraZeneca Resumes Its COVID-19 Vaccine Trials In The U.K.

Drugmaker AstraZeneca announced Saturday that its COVID-19 vaccine studies have resumed in the United Kingdom, though not yet in the United States. The vaccine trials had been placed on hold around the world earlier in the week after a U.K. participant in one of the studies developed a neurological illness.

The candidate vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford along with AstraZeneca. The goal of the large studies is to see whether the vaccine is capable of preventing COVID-19 and whether it is safe.

Although initial studies didn't reveal serious side effects from the vaccine, rare complications of any vaccine, if there are any, may not turn up until it has been administered to thousands, or tens of thousands of people.

On Sunday, AstraZeneca says, all studies around the world of this particular candidate vaccine were paused after one volunteer in the U.K. developed symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that can cause paralysis.

According to a statement Saturday from the drug company, the studies were paused "to allow review of safety data by independent committees, and international regulators."
— NPR

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