Coronavirus has infected about 1 in 50 Dallas County residents; Tarrant crosses 400-death mark

COVID-19 has been diagnosed in about 1 in 50 Dallas County residents, according to county data. Meanwhile, the county reported 508 new coronavirus cases and four deaths Wednesday.

A Dallas man in his 40s who did not have underlying health conditions was among the dead, County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement.

“This is a somber reminder that although COVID-19 statistically has a worse course on high-risk individuals, it can cause serious damage and even death to otherwise healthy individuals,” Jenkins said.

The other victims included another Dallas man in his 40s, a Dallas woman in her 60s and an Irving man in his 90s who lived in a long-term care facility. All three had underlying health conditions.

Far fewer deaths were reported Wednesday after a near-record 31 were announced Tuesday. The overall death toll stands at 726.

The county has recorded 52,639 cases or coronavirus, or about 1 case for every 50 residents. The county does not report recoveries.

Statewide, Texas reported 236 new COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 7,497. The state also reported 8,706 new coronavirus cases for a total of 459,887.

More than 315,000 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus, according to the Department of State Health Services.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas total 8,455, including 1,497 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to DSHS. In Dallas County, officials said they continue to see elevated hospitalization numbers, with a total of 682 on Tuesday. The county reported 522 emergency room visits for symptoms of the virus, representing about 22% of all ER visits.

Jenkins said people should continue to take precautions for the virus such as wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding unnecessary trips. He said masks are not a substitute for maintaining a six-foot distance from others.

“If we all work together, more businesses will stay open, less people will get sick, our economy will improve, and our kids can go back to school sooner,” he said.

Tarrant County

The county announced Wednesday that it was adding probable cases to its total coronavirus case count, resulting in a record 1,673 new cases reported for the day. The county now lists 1,608 probable cases.

The county said in a written statement that the adjustment is due to a new state requirement that probably cases be included in totals.

“This is not a spike,” the statement said, noting that the county expects to return to normal reporting levels Thursday.

The county also added eight new coronavirus deaths, pushing the county past the 400-death threshold. The victims include three Arlington residents — two women in their 70s and 80s and a man in his 80s; two Fort Worth women in their 40s and 60s; a Southlake woman in her 80s; a Haltom City man in his 50s; and a Sansom Park woman in her 40s. All had underlying health conditions.

The county’s totals are now 404 deaths and 31,835 cases, or about 15.1 for every 1,000 residents.

According to county data, 495 people are hospitalized with the virus and 18,886 have recovered.

Abbott looks ahead

On Amarillo CBS affiliate KFDA, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said a reason coronavirus case numbers are moving in the right direction is that Texans have taken the virus seriously. He said that if Texas can drop below and maintain a positivity rate under 10%, restrictions may be loosened, allowing more people to return to work.

On nursing homes, Abbott told KFDA that Texas is on track to have tests that will provide results perhaps as fast as 15 minutes in some locations, KDFW reported. He also hinted at the possibility of loosening visitation restrictions.

“I anticipate an announcement being made in the coming days, maybe as early as early next week talking about ways in which nursing homes can be opened up so that loved ones will be able to go visit them,” KFDA reported Abbott saying.

On Dallas’ KDFW-TV (Channel 4), Abbott warned that if the upcoming flu season is as severe as last year’s, hospitals will face serious challenges.

But speaking optimistically on the vaccine front, he said that treatments and vaccines in the pipeline for possible release in the coming months will help produce herd immunity, KDFW reported.

Collin County

The county reported 124 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. It also reported one coronavirus death — a McKinney man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions.

The numbers raise the county’s totals to 85 deaths and 6,867 cases or about 6.6 for every 1,000 residents.

Hospitalizations for the virus are at 147, while 4,983 people have recovered, according to county data.

Denton County

The county reported 130 new coronavirus cases Wednesday. No new deaths were reported, leaving the county’s toll at 56.

The county has now seen 7,257 cases or about 8.2 for every 1,000 residents. Sixty-three people are hospitalized with the virus and 4,186 have recovered, according to county data.

Other counties

The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for other North Texas counties. Some of those counties may not report updates each day. The latest numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 837 cases, 17 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 2,007 cases, 22 deaths.
• Ellis County: 2,691 cases, 37 deaths.
• Johnson County: 1,730 cases, 30 deaths.

The city of Forney announced this week that it will not host events for the rest of 2020 because of the pandemic. The city postponed the Sept. 26 Trace Adkins concert until May 14. Visit the point of purchase for ticket refunds, the city said.

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