Combined case total for Dallas and Tarrant counties now over 600,000.
Figures reported Thursday showed 1,979 people were hospitalized in the service area that includes Dallas-Fort Worth.
High temperatures will climb to the upper 90s over the weekend, according to NBC5′s forecast.
The “alarming” spike is driven largely by the highly contagious delta variant.
Silvestre Franco-Luviano, 48, fatally shot 23-year-old Ruben Moreno and 44-year-old Welton Betts.
County Judge Clay Jenkins cites the “frightening trajectory” of coronavirus cases for the change.
More than 64,000 coronavirus tests were conducted in Dallas County in the past week, the most since early February.
Dallas County is planning to reopen its Fair Park site through Sept. 18 to encourage vaccinations, as the delta variant accounts for a majority of the county’s cases.
Highs throughout the week will be mostly in the 90s, local forecasters say.
Named for the former News editor, the honor goes to seniors planning a career in journalism, communications or public relations.