Dallas County Reports 751 More COVID Cases, 42 Deaths

Dallas County Monday reported 751 more COVID-19 cases — 668 confirmed and 83 probable cases — and 42 additional deaths.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county’s reported a cumulative total of 245,946 confirmed cases, 35,209 probable cases, and 2,993 deaths. The county recently transitioned to include Sunday’s cases and deaths in Monday’s data.

The deaths reported Monday included 26 women and 16 men ranging in age from their 40s to their 90s.

“While the number of deaths remain high, the number of cases and hospitalizations continue to trend lower. This has led some people to believe that they can relax wearing their masks, maintaining distance, and avoiding crowds. This is a mistake,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s latest data shows Dallas County COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased by 30% the past two weeks.

UTSW’s model projects total COVID-19 hospitalizations could reach between 270 and 480 concurrent hospitalized cases by March 12, and roughly 500 new COVID-19 infections per day are expected by March 12. 

Distribution of COVID-19 vaccines continues. 

The county reports 45,643 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered at the Fair Park mega-vaccine clinic since it opened in January. 

Jenkins said about 13.5% of the county population has had their first shot and 7% had their second shot.

While vaccines continue to be rolled out, he stressed the importance of measures like masking, distancing, good hygiene, and registering for the vaccine when it’s available to get to herd immunity.

“We must continue vaccinating and not lose our resolve to make those small sacrifices that are necessary to win the fight against COVID-19. We’re all in this together and we will defeat it together,” Jenkins said.

Gov. Greg Abbott also announced Monday that Dallas was among 26 counties participating in the first week of the  Save Our Seniors initiative. Abbott announced the Save Our Seniors program in Corpus Christi last week to help seniors get vaccinated.

The state has allocated up to 8,000 vaccine doses for the first week of the program, which the state will use in partnership with local officials and service organizations to target Texans who are 75 years and older or homebound. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and Texas Military Department will work alongside local jurisdictions to set up a central drive-through vaccine clinic in the community or administer directly to homebound seniors — these decisions will be driven by local jurisdictions based on their most vulnerable identified individuals.

“The Save Our Seniors program will help us reach vulnerable homebound seniors across the state and provide them with life-saving COVID-19 vaccines,” said Abbott. “As more communities are identified and selected for the program, we will be able to get more shots in arms and further strengthen our response to this virus.” 

The county Monday reported 68 active long-term care facility outbreaks. A cumulative total of 4,189 residents and 2,324 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 950 have been hospitalized and 608 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long- term care facilities.

The county also reported 10 outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities like homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes, in the past 30 days. A cumulative total of 394 residents and 196 staff members in congregate-living facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. 

During the past 30 days, there were 4,098 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 650 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County. An additional death of a teacher in a K-12 school from COVID-19 was confirmed Monday. 

A total of 466 children in Dallas County under 18 years of age have been hospitalized since the beginning of the pandemic, including 37 patients diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C). Over 80% of reported MIS-C cases in Dallas have occurred in children who are Hispanic or Latino or Black.
In other news:

• Dallas will begin to administer this week’s allocation of 3,000 first doses of the Moderna vaccine at The Potter’s House in southern Dallas Thursday. Second-dose distributions will continue at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Oak Cliff.
• Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson proclaimed Monday “COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day,” nearly a year after the virus first spread to the city.
• DeAnn Walker, the chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, resigned Monday.
• Abbott plans to make a “statewide announcement” at 1:30 p.m. from Lubbock.