Dallas County Reports 1,243 COVID-19 Cases, 15 Deaths
Dallas County Monday reported 1,243 more COVID-19 cases – 1,142 confirmed and 101 probable – and 15 additional deaths.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county’s reported a cumulative total of 167,900 confirmed cases and 20,223 probable cases as well as 1,580 deaths.
The additional deaths reported Monday include a Garland man in his 40s who died in hospice care, a Dallas woman in her 50s, a Lancaster man in his 60s, a Farmers Branch woman in her 60s, a Dallas man in his 60s, two Dallas women in their 70s one of whom died in hospice care, an Irving man in his 70s, a Mesquite man in his 70s, a Mesquite woman in her 70s, a Rowlett man in his 70s who died in hospice care, and a Dallas man in his 80s who died in hospice care. Also among the deaths reported Monday were a man in his 50s who lived at a Garland long-term care facility, a woman in her 60s who lived in a Dallas long-term care facility, and a woman in her 80s who lived at a Desoto long-term care facility.
“We began the day with 27 available adult ICU rooms in all of Dallas County hospitals. UT Southwestern projects that our hospital numbers will be somewhere between our current level and up to 1,500 COVID cases in the hospitals on Jan. 5. If we get to the highest end of this number, we will run through ICU beds and be forced to have less than optimum care,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Monday. “To help our healthcare heroes help you, please make smart decisions and follow doctors’ advice this New Year’s season. Wear your mask when around people you don’t live with and avoid crowds and get-togethers. We must all think of ways to celebrate the New Year that are safe, not just for us, but for those who will inevitably catch the virus from the people who contract it this New Year’s.”
UT Southwestern Medical Center’s data projects a 20% increase in hospitalizations by Jan. 5.
UTSW’s data also shows COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased by 19% over the past two weeks.
UTSW’s model projects total COVID-19 hospitalizations in Dallas County could reach between 940 and 1,500 concurrent hospitalized cases by Jan. 5 and roughly 2,700 new COVID-19 infections per day are expected by Jan. 5.
The county reports there are 100 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 2,696 residents and 1,590 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 640 have been hospitalized and 323 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities.
Also since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,864 healthcare workers and first responders have been reported with COVID-19 in Dallas County.
Over the past 30 days, there have been 4,955 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 764 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 692 staff members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 21 school nurses have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 100 active long-term care facility outbreaks.
