Texas reports 12,423 new coronavirus cases, 206 deaths

Texas reported 12,423 new coronavirus cases and 206 deaths on Thursday.

The number of new cases is a bit lower than on several recent days, including Tuesday, when a record 13,998 cases were announced.

Of the cases reported Thursday, 12,210 are considered new and 213 are older ones recently reported by labs.

Texas has now reported 1,143,616 confirmed cases and 21,156 fatalities. Meanwhile, 8,706 COVID-19 patients are in Texas hospitals, including 2,393 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide, based on the date of test specimen collection, was 10.47% as of Wednesday. State health officials said using data based on when people were tested provides the most accurate positivity rate.

The state also provides a positivity rate based on when lab results were reported to the state; that rate stood at 11.23% as of Thursday.

Officials previously calculated Texas’ coronavirus positivity rate by dividing the most recent seven days of new positive test results by the most recent seven days of total new test results. By that measure, the positivity rate is now 11.51%, according to the state dashboard.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services said that positivity rate data based on lab results and new cases will likely be phased out but is still being provided for transparency and continuity purposes.

Most North Texas counties did not report COVID-19 data on Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Here’s where their numbers currently stand.

Dallas County

Dallas County will not be reporting COVID-19 data on Thursday or Friday this week but will resume Saturday, said Lauren Trimble, chief of staff for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

On Wednesday, the county reported 1,368 new coronavirus cases and six more COVID-19 deaths.

The county has logged 122,184 confirmed cases and 11,627 probable cases. It also has recorded 1,202 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 29 probable deaths.

Dallas County officials do not report recoveries, noting that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not use that metric.

In the 24-hour period that ended Tuesday, 764 COVID-19 patients were in acute care in hospitals in the county. During the same period, 508 emergency-room visits were for symptoms of the disease.

Saturday’s numbers will include data processed on Wednesday evening, while Sunday’s report will include COVID-19 data from Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Trimble said.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County health officials will not post data Thursday, Friday or Saturday of this week, said Brian Murnahan, a public information officer for the county.

On Wednesday, the county reported 1,302 coronavirus cases and three new deaths.

The county has logged 95,989 cases, including 85,010 that are confirmed cases and 10,979 that are probable. Recoveries total 67,595. The death toll is 838.

As of Wednesday, 812 people were hospitalized with the virus.

Collin County

The state added 311 coronavirus cases to Collin County’s total Thursday, bringing its tally to 24,882. Three more COVID-19 fatalities also were reported, bringing the county’s death toll to 248.

According to state data, the county has 3,071 active cases of the virus.

The county’s coronavirus dashboard provides only total hospitalizations, which are at 291.

Denton County

In Wednesday’s report, Denton County announced 439 coronavirus cases — of which 314 are active — and one death. The county will resume posting COVID-19 data Friday, officials said.

The county has now had 22,789 COVID-19 cases, including 5,345 that are active and 17,296 that are recoveries. The death toll stands at 148.

There were 141 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Wednesday, according to the county’s data.

Other counties

The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for these other North Texas counties. In some of them, new data may not be reported every day.

The latest numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 2,948 cases, 36 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 4,870 cases, 80 deaths.
• Ellis County: 6,828 cases, 111 deaths.
• Johnson County: 5,327 cases, 103 deaths.

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