Dallas County reports 22 deaths from coronavirus, 348 cases; Tarrant County adds 24 deaths

Dallas County reported an additional 22 deaths from COVID-19 and 348 new cases of coronavirus on Friday.

The last victims were mostly in their 60s or older, but a Dallas man in his 20s and a Richardson man in his 30s were among the dead. Eleven were men and eleven were women, and all 22 had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Fourteen of the victims were residents of Dallas, three lived in Garland, two were in Richardson and each lived in Grand Prairie, Mesquite and Wilmer.

Of the new cases, 204 were confirmed and 144 were likely. The figures bring the total county cases to 287,989, including 250,353 confirmed and 37,636 probable. The death toll is 3,372.

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 Thursday, 207 patients from COVID-19 were in intensive care at hospitals in the municipality. During the same period, 319 visits to the emergency room were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 492,999 people in Dallas County received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 249,485 – 12.4% of the county’s population aged 16 or older – are fully vaccinated.

County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that the county vaccine mega site in Fair Park is now providing doses of the Modern vaccine on Mondays and Fridays and doses of Pfizer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in an effort to speed the process.

Texas

Across the state, an additional 3,574 cases were reported on Friday, including 3,395 new cases and 179 older cases recently reported by laboratories.

The state also recorded 158 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the number of victims to 46,235.

Of the new cases, 2,552 were confirmed and 843 were likely. Of the oldest cases, 126 were confirmed and 53 were probable.

The state’s total cases now stand at 2,739,385, including 2,362,234 confirmed and 377,151 probable.

There are 3,752 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 736 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Thursday, 4.5% 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 uses to define high hospitalizations.

The seven-day average positivity rate across the state for molecular testing, based on the sample collection date, was 6.3% on Thursday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 3.9%. 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, 6,006,975 people in Texas received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 3,036,482 – 13.5% of the state’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported 24 deaths and 289 cases on Friday.

The latest victims were mostly 60 or older, but a Fort Worth woman in her 30s was among the dead. Eight were men and 16 were women, and 20 had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Ten of the victims were residents of Fort Worth, four were from Arlington, two were from Mansfield and North Richland Hills, each lived in Bedford, Crowley, Haltom City and Keller, and two were from unincorporated areas.

Tarrant County has reported a higher number of deaths on Fridays because of when it receives data from the state’s death certificate. Eleven of the last deaths occurred in March, 11 are in February, one is in January and one is in December.

Of the new cases, 148 were confirmed and 141 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 248,606, including 210,306 confirmed and 38,300 probable. The death toll is 3,184.

According to the municipality, 226 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 372,821 people in Tarrant County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 200,424 – 12.6% of the county’s population aged 16 or older – are fully vaccinated.

The state reported 200,711 people fully vaccinated for Tarrant County on Thursday, but the State Department of Health Services said on Friday that this was the result of a provider entering data incorrectly.

Collin County

The state added three deaths and 39 cases to the Collin County total on Friday.

No details about the latest victims were available.

Of the new cases, seven were confirmed and 32 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 85,550, including 81,378 confirmed and 14,172 probable. The death toll is 777.

According to the municipality, 160 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 233,923 people in Collin County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 123,349 – 15.3% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 114 cases on Friday. No additional deaths were reported.

The new reported cases bring the county’s total cases to 70,885, including 52,722 confirmed and 18,163 probable. The death toll is 453.

According to the city, 53 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 161,211 people in Denton County received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, while 97,652 – 13.9% 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: 10,919 cases (8,939 confirmed and 1,980 likely), 143 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,303 cases (12,929 confirmed and 2,374 probable), 232 deaths.
• Ellis County: 21,626 cases (18,288 confirmed and 3,338 probable), 300 deaths.
• Johnson County: 19,044 cases (16,335 confirmed and 2,709 probable), 350 deaths.