Dallas County Reports Fifth COVID-19 Death as Cases Rise
Dallas County health officials Tuesday reported a fifth death related to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
The latest death, the county said, was a woman in her 70s with high-risk, chronic health conditions, who had been hospitalized.
“Of cases requiring hospitalization to date, about two-thirds (67%) have been either over 60 years of age or have had at least one known high-risk chronic health condition,” the county said.
The county also reported 14 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total cases to 169.
The latest presumptive positive cases come just a few days after the county added two new testing sites at Ellis Field House and the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and a day after the county loosened restrictions on who could be tested at those sites, allowing anyone with specific symptoms, regardless of age, to request a test.
“I want to thank all of our residents for your courage and sacrifice. You are safer at home. By everyone following the “Stay Home Stay Safe” order we will save lives together and return to normal sooner,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
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Is it assumed more people got sick because they went to testing sites?
Actually, you’ll likely see numbers go up because more people are getting tested, but not for another week or so. The two new, expanded testing sites at the AAC and Ellis Field House have only been open a few days.
We’ll probably also see bigger numbers coming up because they’ve loosened the restrictions on who can be tested (anyone with symptoms, regardless of age or whether they’re a first responder or not).
But the sites themselves (at least the drive-up ones) are as no-contact as you can get and still stick a long swab up someone’s nose. And we’ll have more cases because, of course, people have been ignoring the recommendations to stay in, too.