Dallas County reports 40 more COVID-19 victims, Tarrant County adds 71 ​​as Texas death toll rises to 40,000

Updated at 17:38: Revised to include data from Tarrant County.

Dallas County reported on Friday another 40 deaths from COVID-19 and 845 new cases of coronavirus.

Most of the latest victims were 60 or older; 24 were men and 16 were women. Fifteen were residents of Dallas, eight were from Mesquite and five lived in Garland. Three were from Lancaster, two lived in DeSoto, Grand Prairie and Rowlett, and one lived in Cedar Hill, Duncanville and Richardson. Only one, a Dallas man in his 60s, was known for not having underlying high-risk health conditions.

Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that while the number of new deaths remains high, the lower number of hospitalized patients and new cases of COVID-19 – the lowest since late November – was encouraging.

“As we enter this winter weekend, we must protect ourselves from the weather, but also be on the lookout for COVID,” said Jenkins. “Please avoid indoor activities with people outside your immediate home.

Of the new cases, 540 were confirmed and 305 were likely. The figures bring the county’s grand total of cases to 272,661, including 239,314 confirmed and 33,347 probable. The death toll is 2,604.

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 ending on Thursday, 686 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care at hospitals in the municipality. During the same period, 337 visits to the emergency room were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 229,682 people in Dallas County received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 78,955 are fully vaccinated.

Because of inclement weather, Dallas County will close its Fair Park vaccine site on Sunday. The site was already scheduled to close on Saturday and Monday, and there may be future closings, officials said.

Officials said the site would be reopened as soon as it was possible to do so safely and that people receiving the second dose would be prioritized.

The Parkland Health & Hospital System said its vaccination sites at Ellis Davis Field House in Red Bird and Eastfield Community College in Mesquite would be closed on Monday and Tuesday and vaccination clinics at Parkland Memorial Hospital and Ambulatory would be closed on Monday -market. Patients will be contacted with information about the appointment.

Texas

Across the state, an additional 12,422 cases were reported on Friday, including 11,371 new cases and 1,131 older cases recently reported by laboratories.

The state also recorded 324 deaths from COVID-19, increasing the death toll to 40,095.

Of the new cases, 9,049 were confirmed and 2,322 were likely. Of the oldest cases, 1,051 were confirmed and 80 were likely.

The total number of cases in the state is now 2,541,845, including 2,206,982 confirmed and 334,863 probable.

There are 8,607 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 2,328 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As of Thursday, 13.8% of patients in the region of the hospital that covers the Dallas-Fort Worth area were patients with COVID-19 – below the 15% limit used by the state to define high hospitalizations. It was the third consecutive day that the region fell below this limit.

The statewide seven-day average positivity rate for molecular testing, based on the date of collection of the test sample, was 11.6% on Thursday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 4.8%. 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, 2,794,008 people in Texas received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 1,035,543 are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported 920 cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths on Friday.

The last victims were mostly 60 years old or older, and all had underlying high-risk health conditions. Twenty-five were from Fort Worth, 16 lived in Arlington, five lived in Haltom City, and three lived in Bedford. Two were from Richland Hills, Watauga and White Settlement, and each lived in Benbrook, Colleyville, Crowley, Euless, Everman, Forest Hill, Grapevine, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Southlake and an unincorporated area.

Tarrant County has reported higher numbers of deaths on Fridays because of when it receives data from the state’s death certificate. Of the last victims, two died in November, one in December, 61 in January and seven in February.

Of the new cases, 749 were confirmed and 171 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 234,246, including 200,178 confirmed and 34,068 probable. The death toll is 2,625.

According to the municipality, 812 people are hospitalized with the virus as of this Thursday.

According to the state, 152,808 people in Tarrant County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 67,817 are fully vaccinated.

Collin County

The state added 490 coronavirus cases and 16 deaths to Collin County’s total on Friday.

No details on the latest victims were available.

Of the new cases, 299 were confirmed and 191 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 79,257, including 67,278 confirmed and 11,979 probable. The death toll is 669.

According to the municipality, 273 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 106,408 people in Collin County received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 30,194 are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 529 cases of coronavirus and eight deaths on Friday.

The last victims were 60 or older; five were men and three were women. Two lived in Carrollton and Frisco, and one was from Corinth, Denton, Flower Mound and Pilot Point.

New reported cases bring the county’s total cases to 59,849, including 46,248 confirmed and 13,601 probable. The death toll is 382.

According to the city, 142 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 47,249 people in Denton County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 20,079 are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

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

The last numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 10,106 cases (8,352 confirmed and 1,754 likely), 114 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 14,129 cases (12,169 confirmed and 1,960 likely), 202 deaths.
• Ellis County: 19,981 cases (17,394 confirmed and 2,587 likely), 264 deaths.
• Johnson County: 17,869 cases (15,540 confirmed and 2,329 probable), 301 deaths.