Dallas County reports 19 coronavirus deaths and 228 cases, reduces threat level to ‘moderate risk’

Updated at 20h18: Revised to include reducing the threat level in Dallas County.

As Dallas County coronavirus hospitalizations have remained at their lowest levels since last spring, Parkland Memorial Hospital closed its COVID-19 intensive care units on Tuesday and the county reduced its threat level for the first time in more five months.

About two dozen patients with COVID-19 were still being treated at the hospital, but the closure of units dedicated to the disease was a symbolic milestone in the fight against COVID-19 just over a year after the pandemic struck northern Texas. .

On Tuesday, Dallas County reported an additional 19 deaths from COVID-19 and 228 new cases of coronavirus.

The last victims were mostly 60 years old or more. Twelve were men and seven were women, and all but one had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Seven of the victims were residents of Dallas, three were from Mesquite, two were from Garland and Seagoville and each lived in Addison, DeSoto, Grand Prairie, Irving and Lancaster.

County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that, with all Texans aged 16 and over becoming eligible to be vaccinated starting next week, people must register for vaccination in as many places as they want to go.

“It was a difficult year, but we are winning,” said Jenkins. “We will focus on all the things for which we should be grateful and, together, we will defeat COVID-19.”

Jenkins said on Tuesday night that the county public health committee reduced the level of threat of coronavirus from red to orange, where it had been since mid-October.

In the orange zone, the risk of coronavirus transmission is considered to be moderate. People in high-risk groups or over 65 should still avoid personal activities, and precautions such as wearing a mask and social distance should be taken when in public.

A series of activities, such as attending entertainment events and going to the cinema, are still discouraged and should only be considered when physical distance is possible, according to city guidelines. Shopping trips should still be limited and preparing meals for the trip is preferable to dining in restaurants.

Of the new cases, 151 were confirmed and 77 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s grand total of cases to 288,928, including 251,039 confirmed and 37,889 probable. The death toll is 3,413.

Authorities said two of the new cases were the first cases of the B.1.429 strain of coronavirus in Dallas County, a more contagious variant that emerged in California. There were 14 cases of variant B.1.1.7, or the United Kingdom, and one case of variant B.1.526, or New York.

Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and visits to emergency rooms as key indicators to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period that ended on Monday, 193 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care at hospitals in the municipality. During the same period, 287 visits to the emergency room were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 527,164 people in Dallas County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 269,105 – 13.4% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Texas

Across the state, an additional 4,595 cases were reported on Tuesday, including 4,269 new cases and 326 older cases recently reported by laboratories.

The state also recorded 80 deaths from COVID-19, bringing its number to 46,558.

Of the new cases, 3,205 were confirmed and 1,064 were probable. Of the oldest cases, 226 were confirmed and 100 were probable.

The state’s total number of cases now stands at 2,752,288, including 2,371,653 confirmed and 380,635 probable.

There are 3,498 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 714 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Monday, 4.6% of patients in the region of the hospital that covers the Dallas-Fort Worth area were patients with COVID-19 – below the 15% limit the state used to define high hospitalizations.

The seven-day average positivity rate across the state for molecular testing, based on the date of collection of the test sample, was 5.9% on Monday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 3.2%. 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, 6,407,978 people in Texas received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 3,215,549 – 14.3% of the state’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported four deaths and 268 cases on Tuesday.

The latest victims were three Fort Worth men in their 40s, 70s and 80s, and a White Settlement man in their 70s. Three of the four had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Of the new cases, 186 were confirmed and 82 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 249,418, including 210,883 confirmed and 38,535 probable. The death toll is 3,226.

According to the municipality, 218 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 395,739 people in Tarrant County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 197,660 – 12.4% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

The Texas Department of Health Services did not explain why the number of fully vaccinated residents was about 16,000 less than reported on Monday. A similar, but much smaller, discrepancy last week was caused by a provider who entered the data incorrectly, DSHS said.

Collin County

The state added two deaths and 183 cases to the Collin County total on Tuesday.

No details about the latest victims were available.

Of the new cases, 40 were confirmed and 143 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 85,885, including 71,565 confirmed and 14,320 probable. The death toll is 784.

According to the municipality, 148 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 251,017 people in Collin County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 129,357 – 16.0% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 129 cases on Tuesday. No additional deaths were reported.

The new reported cases bring the county’s total cases to 71,200, including 52,914 confirmed and 18,286 probable cases. The death toll is 453.

According to the city, 51 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 176,322 people in Denton County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 101,418 – 14.4% 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: 10,969 cases (8,977 confirmed and 1,992 probable), 145 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,363 cases (12,962 confirmed and 2,401 probable), 233 deaths.
• Ellis County: 21,691 cases (18,337 confirmed and 3,354 probable), 300 deaths.
• Johnson County: 19,123 cases (16,390 confirmed and 2,733 probable), 353 deaths.