More Than 200 Children Diagnosed With COVID-19 In Nine Days
As public health experts scramble to make sense of newly-released positive cases that were held back due to a state reporting glitch, nonprofits begin the work of supporting those who are most vulnerable to the economic and social impact of the pandemic. These are today’s bullet points:
- More than 200 children diagnosed with COVID in nine days;
- State Fair of Texas adds new category to 2020 grant cycle;
- Virtual event highlights ways the faith community can support schools during the pandemic.
More Than 200 Children Diagnosed With COVID-19 In Nine Days
Dallas County health officials reported 787 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 10 deaths, bringing the total confirmed cases to 66,065, and 839 deaths. The total probable case count is 2,526, and seven deaths.
Among the dead are a Balch Springs man in his 50s, an Irving woman in her 60s, a Dallas woman in her 60s, a Dallas man in his 60s, a Dallas woman in her 70s, two Dallas men in their 70s, a Dallas man in his 80s, and a Grand Prairie man in his 80s. All had underlying high-risk health conditions.
Long-term care facilities continue to account for a third of all COVID-19 deaths, including a man in his 80’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility Dallas.
“Today we have 237 new COVID-19 positive cases to be reported of people who were tested in August. The State also gave us 550 cases of people whose tests were lost from July and June. We provided a similar breakdown for Sunday and have requested but not received one for yesterday’s numbers,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins explained. “Keep in mind that it’s also possible that some of the cases from August were from early August and lost briefly in the State’s electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) system as well.”
“There’s a lot of uncertainty out there but one thing that is not in doubt is that we will get through this together, and the best way for us to do that is to listen to the doctors who have trained their entire adult lives for this moment,” he added. “If we all make our best decisions individually, for our family, and for our businesses, we will have less North Texans get sick, more businesses stay open, and our children back to school sooner rather than later.”
The county said that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday was 411 patients. Emergency room visits for COVID-19 symptoms also remain high, representing about 22% of all ER visits, according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.
UT Southwestern’s latest forecast projects that by August 28, Dallas County hospitals could see concurrent hospitalizations decline to between 330 and 550 cases, with roughly 470 new cases per day on average.
In the county’s August 18 aggregate report, most confirmed cases continue to be between the ages of 18 and 60, with the 18-40 age group accounting for 46% of the cases, and the 41-64 age group accounting for another 34% of the total cases.
From Aug. 6 through 14, 227 school-aged children between 5 and 18 years of age were among those confirmed cases. More than 3,549 children under 18 years of age have been diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 since July 1, including 66 children who have been hospitalized for COVID-19.
Close contact or community transmission continues to be the biggest risk factor for contracting COVID-19, accounting for more than 93% of all cases. Being incarcerated in a federal prison, living in a long-term care facility or being incarcerated in the county jail are a distant second, third, and fourth, at 2%, 1.9% and 1%, respectively.
Of the testing done, positive cases accounted for 14% as of Aug. 8, with 1,122 positives coming from 8,005 tests. Testing for the week prior found that positive cases accounted for 15.9% of all testing.
Eleven percent of all cases ended up hospitalized – 23% ended up in intensive care, and 12% ended up on a ventilator.
In a city-by-city breakdown, Dallas still comes in with the highest number of cases – 34,879 confirmed cases and 1,356 probable cases. Highland Park has 57 confirmed cases (up from 44 on Monday), and another 16 probable cases, and University Park has 128 confirmed cases (up from 93), and 75 probable cases.
State Fair of Texas Adds New Category to 2020 Grant Cycle
The State Fair of Texas announced the opening of its final 2020 grant cycle Tuesday, and also said it has added a new category.
In addition to their core three grant categories: capacity building for nonprofits, economic development, and educational programming, the State Fair added a new category for social and racial justice.
“The State Fair of Texas is committed to fighting for racial equity in America,” a Fair spokesperson said. “In addition to our new anti-racism resource guide, adding this new grant category, the State Fair will continue to work with partners who specifically address effects of systemic racism within the criminal justice system, employment, food insecurity, transportation, and education sectors.”
Organizers said they hope that the grant and resources will support the Black community, and are welcoming nonprofits in the South Dallas/Fair Park neighborhoods in the 75210, 75215, and 75228 zip codes to apply.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 11.
“Now, more than ever, organizations in South Dallas need our support. COVID-19 has revealed long-standing privilege, disparities, and inequities that exist, leaving our most vulnerable neighbors exposed to a harmful threat,” said State Fair of Texas Vice President of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances, Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew. “As the data continues to come out from Black and Brown communities showing increased mortality rates from COVID-19, we must ensure nonprofits already on the ground, with the historical and cultural knowledge, receive the resources they need to serve.”
Applications will be reviewed by a committee made up of Fair board members and community members with expertise in nonprofit and grant reviews. Those receiving funding will allocate the money strategically to build stronger communities in the South Dallas/Fair Park neighborhoods.
To apply for a grant, please visit BigTex.com/Grants, through Sept. 11. To learn more, visit BigTex.com/Community, where other resources and initiatives highlighting South Dallas nonprofits like ServeSouthernDallas.org are provided.
Virtual Event Highlights Ways Faith Community Can Support Schools
Pastors for Texas Children and One+One Dallas will host a virtual event Aug. 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m..
The event, titled Partnering in a Pandemic: How Faith Communities Can Support Schools, will feature Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michale Hinojosa as guest speaker.
“Faith communities and leaders will share best practices of how to partner with schools during this back to school time and all the changes required,” organizers said. “Faith communities will also learn how to advocate for racial and educational equity at the state and federal levels.”
