Dallas County reports 22 deaths, 378 coronavirus cases; Tarrant adds 9 fatalities

Updated at 4:17 p.m. to include Denton County’s cases.

Dallas County reported 22 more COVID-19 deaths and 378 new coronavirus cases Wednesday.

The latest victims were 14 men and eight women who were in their 30s and older. Twelve of the victims were from Dallas, three from Garland, three from Irving, two from Grand Prairie and one each from Addison and DeSoto. Two lived in long-term care facilities, and all but three had underlying health conditions.

In a written statement, County Judge Clay Jenkins urged residents to sign up for a vaccine appointment.

“If we do not defeat COVID, it will eventually mutate into strains that are vaccine-resistant,” he said.

Of the new cases, 256 were confirmed and 122 were probable. The numbers bring the county’s overall case total to 293,121 — 253,231 confirmed and 39,890 probable. The death toll is 3,647.

The average number of new daily cases in the county for the past two weeks is 280. For the previous 14-day period, the average was 276.

Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive-care admissions and emergency room visits as key metrics to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period that ended Tuesday, 225 COVID-19 patients were in acute care in hospitals in the county. During the same period, 450 ER visits were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 732,872 people in Dallas County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 413,138 — 20.4% of the county’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Texas

Across the state, 4,544 more cases were reported Wednesday — 4,098 new cases and 446 older ones recently reported by labs.

The state also reported 99 COVID-19 deaths, raising its toll to 47,921.

Of the new cases, 3,285 were confirmed and 813 were probable. Of the older cases, 390 were confirmed and 56 were probable.

The state’s case total is now 2,804,798 — 2,412,115 confirmed and 392,683 probable.

There were 2,886 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 580 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Tuesday, 3.64% of patients in the hospital region covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area were COVID-19 patients — below the 15% threshold the state has used to define high hospitalizations.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide for molecular tests, based on the date of test specimen collection, was 5.73% as of Tuesday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 3.41%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Gov. Greg Abbott has said a positivity rate above 10% is cause for concern.

According to the state, 8,434,288 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 4,906,823 — 21.9% of the state’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported nine deaths and 242 cases Wednesday.

Details about the latest victims were not immediately available.

Of the new cases, 142 were confirmed and 100 were probable. The numbers bring the county’s case total to 252,138 — 212,662 confirmed and 39,476 probable. The death toll is 3,333.

According to the county, 153 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 491,015 people in Tarrant County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 327,577 — 20.3% of the county’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Collin County

The state added one death and eight cases to Collin County’s totals Wednesday.

No details about the latest victim were available.

The new numbers bring the county’s case total to 87,275 — 72,358 confirmed and 14,917 probable. The death toll is 800.

According to the county, 102 people were hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 330,645 people in Collin County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 197,814 — 24.7% of the county’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 103 cases and zero deaths Wednesday.

The newly reported cases bring the county’s case total to 72,422 — 53,667 confirmed and 18,755 probable. The death toll is 476.

According to the county, 32 people were hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 231,657 people in Denton County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 157,421 — 22.6% of the county’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

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

The latest numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 11,182 cases (9,113 confirmed and 2,069 probable), 149 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,573 cases (13,100 confirmed and 2,473 probable), 246 deaths.
• Ellis County: 22,203 cases (18,632 confirmed and 3,571 probable), 309 deaths.
• Johnson County: 19,396 cases (16,578 confirmed and 2,818 probable), 361 deaths.