Dallas County adds 24 COVID-19 deaths, 267 cases; hospitalizations across the state continue to decline

Updated at 5:05 pm: Revised to include data from Dallas County.

Dallas County reported an additional 24 deaths from COVID-19 and 267 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday.

Of the latest victims, seven lived in Garland, six in Dallas, four in Grand Prairie, three in Richardson and one in Cedar Hill, Irving, Seagoville and Wilmer. All but five were 60 or older. Most of the victims were hospitalized and all had underlying health risk conditions.

Of the new cases, 235 were confirmed and 32 were likely. The figures bring the total county cases to 286,351, including 249,246 confirmed and 37,105 probable. The death toll is 3,299.

Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and visits to emergency rooms as key metrics to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period ended on Friday, 259 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care at hospitals in the municipality. During the same period, 348 visits to the emergency room were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 439,785 people in Dallas County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 236,515 – 11.7% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Texas

Across the state, 4,906 more cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, including 4,638 that are new and 268 older cases recently reported by labs.

The state also recorded 156 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 45,474.

Of the new cases, 3,726 were confirmed and 912 were probable. Of the oldest cases, 251 were confirmed and 17 were likely.

The total number of cases in the state is now 2,715,755, including 2,342,740 confirmed and 373,015 probable.

There are 4,219 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 873 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As of Friday, 5.34% of patients in the region of the hospital that covers the Dallas-Fort Worth area were patients with COVID-19 – below the 15% limit that the state has used to define high hospitalizations.

The seven-day average positivity rate across the state for molecular testing, based on the sample collection date, was 6.5% on Friday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 2.57%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Governor Greg Abbott said a positivity rate above 10% is a cause for concern.

According to the state, 5,246,949 people in Texas received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 2,781,088 – 12.4% of the state’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported 23 deaths and 303 cases on Saturday.

Ten of the victims were Fort Worth residents, including a woman over 90. Another four lived in Arlington. Eighteen of the victims were 60 or older, while the youngest was a man from Haltom City in his 30s. All 23 had underlying health conditions.

Of the new cases, 204 were confirmed and 99 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 247,136, including 209,311 confirmed and 37,825 probable. The death toll is 3,097.

According to the city, 273 people were hospitalized with the virus until Friday.

According to the state, 318,128 people in Tarrant County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 191,877 – 12.0% of the county’s population aged 16 or older – are fully vaccinated.

Collin County

The state added 81 cases and no new deaths to the Collin County total on Saturday.

Of the new cases, 43 were confirmed and 38 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 84,925, including 70,988 confirmed and 13,937 probable cases. The death toll is 763.

According to the municipality, 184 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 198,477 people in Collin County received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 113,939 – 14.1% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 65 cases and no new deaths on Saturday.

The new reported cases bring the total county cases to 69,698, including 51,867 confirmed and 17,831 probable. The death toll is 431.

According to the city, 47 people were hospitalized with the virus until Friday.

According to the state, 138,818 people in Denton County received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, while 90,875 – 12.9% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

The Texas Department of Health Services has taken over the reports from these other counties in North Texas. In some counties, new data may not be reported every day.

The last numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 10,836 cases (8,897 confirmed and 1,939 likely), 141 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,196 cases (12,863 confirmed and 2,333 probable), 231 deaths.
• Ellis County: 21,541 cases (18,225 confirmed and 3,316 probable), 296 deaths.
• Johnson County: 18,920 cases (16,262 confirmed and 2,658 likely), 343 deaths.