Dallas County Moves Risk Level to Orange
Tuesday, Dallas County health officials moved the county’s risk level to orange for the first time since September 2020 — and this time, bookended by news that the state would open COVID vaccination up to all adults next Monday and the news that Parkland has closed its COVID ICU wards, it might just be a sign that things are moving closer to green.
Although Gov. Greg Abbott opened the state up for business, Dallas County’s color-coded system remained in the red — the most dangerous threat level — even after, largely because case counts were still high, infection rates were still closer to 15% than 5%, and hospitalizations were still on the high end.
But now, with the infection rate hovering just below 7%, Dallas County health officials now say itâs safe to get a haircut (as long as the salon takes precautions), dine-in at restaurants (provided thereâs plenty of space between tables and masks are worn), or visit museums or libraries with 25% or less occupancy.
According to the guidelines provided by the county, unnecessary travel is still not suggested, and outdoor events and venues are still preferable to indoor options.
But, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month, gatherings of vaccinated people can happen indoors and maskless, and gatherings with a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people can look a little different, too.
In other news:
- Ventavia Research Group, based in North Texas, is seeking women in their second trimester or beginning their third trimester to enroll in the first clinical trials involving pregnant women and the COVID-19 vaccine. The group has four Dallas-Fort Worth clinics.
- Dallas County health officials reported 228 additional positive cases and 19 deaths Tuesday.
