Dallas County added another 1,129 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, along with another 16 deaths attributed to the virus. Meanwhile, county officials warn that hospitalizations for COVID-19 are at higher levels in the county, while ICU availability is low.
County health officials said 1,018 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care at Dallas County hospitals as of Monday.
“Our hospital numbers are at peak levels and our availability of ICU beds in the region is low,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on Tuesday. “Currently, one in four people hospitalized in Dallas County has COVID-19 and approximately 30% of people hospitalized in the region have COVID-19.”
Jenkins added that the new record “is not a surprise based on modeling. While these high numbers are predictable, they are also preventable. Changes in individual behavior and precautionary actions can slow the increase. Hospitals are our last line of defense and they are running out of beds to care for our sickest patients. “
In Dallas County, there were only 16 ICU beds left. Across the region, the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Council reported only 58 in all 19 counties.
President and CEO Stephen Love said that many hospitals have already enacted plans to increase by opening additional COVID units.
He said that others have the capacity to increase the space, once the capacity is satisfied, reusing the surgical and recovery spaces.
He said the biggest problem would be the number of doctors and nurses available to take care of the increase in patients.
“The state has done everything it can to help us. But with this high volume, the staff is going to be a real problem. ”
“The state has done everything in its power to help us. But, with so much volume, hiring employees will be a real problem,” said Love. “Our team, these clinical health heroes, was in March this year. They are tired. They are tired. They are worn out. So the more volume you have, the more you will continue to strain the current workforce. ”
He and Jenkins encouraged people to stay home on New Year’s Eve, avoiding encounters with anyone outside their home.
“Don’t let your guard down. Please, let’s all work together. And then, next year, we can have big celebrations for the holidays, “said Love.
Of the cases notified on Monday, the county said 882 were confirmed cases and 247 were probable cases (antigen test), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county in March to 168,782 and the number of probable cases (antigen test) for 20,470. The total number of confirmed and probable cases in the municipality is now 189,252. In the past seven days, Dallas County authorities have confirmed 12,346 confirmed and probable cases of the virus.
The last 16 victims include an 18-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman, both from Garland; a woman in Mesquite’s 50s; a man in his 70s by Richardson; a man in Hutchins’ 70s; a man in his 60s Carrollton; 10 Dallas people aged between 30 and 80 years. All the victims, except the woman Garland and an 80-year-old woman from Dallas, had underlying health risks, including the teenager.
County officials said on Tuesday there were 1,596 deaths in the county attributed to the virus. In the summer, Dallas County Director of Health and Human Services, Dr. Philip Huang, said COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death in the county, behind heart disease and cancer.
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The county said the provisional 7-day average for new confirmed and probable cases per test collection date for CDC week 50 was 1,722, representing a rate of 65.3 new cases per 100,000 residents daily.
In the past 30 days, there have been 5,971 cases of COVID-19 in school children and employees reported in more than 756 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 569 employees. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 21 school nurses have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jenkins on Monday issued an alert to those planning traditional New Year’s Eve gatherings, urging them to reconsider their plans and to take precautions against the spread of the virus.
“To help our health heroes help you, please make smart decisions and follow the advice of doctors this New Year’s season. Wear your mask when you’re around people you don’t live with and avoid crowds and meetings. Everyone we must think of ways to celebrate the New Year that is safe, not just for us, but for those who will inevitably get the virus from the people who contracted it this New Year, “said Jenkins. “It may not be you, but your grandmother or someone else’s grandmother who pays a high price for your decision to have a traditional New Year’s celebration. Please help make the small sacrifice of patriotism to keep our community and our country strong until everyone who wants the vaccine can get it and can have the opportunity to protect them from the virus. “