Dallas County Reports 351 New Confirmed Coronavirus Cases, 3 Deaths
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 351 new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County on Thursday, Oct. 22, for a cumulative total of 91,664 cases.
The county also announced three more deaths, bringing the total to 1,093.
There are 84 additional probable cases (antigen test) to report Thursday for a total of 4,819 probable cases including 14 probable deaths.
Of the 351 confirmed cases reported, 291 came through the Texas Department of State Health Services' electronic laboratory reporting system, and only one was from an older month.
"We continue to see an increase in the number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases as well as an increase in our hospitalizations. We are back to the mid-August numbers for hospitalizations and that increase is placing a strain on our local hospitals, especially on their staff who have been tirelessly responding to COVID since March," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins in a statement. "The projections are that these numbers will keep increasing which is why we must act now to stop the spread. The actions you can take as an individual to reduce the spread are to stay home except for essential activities, wear a mask when around others, maintain six-foot distancing and wash your hands. We can do this North Texas but it's up to all of us to take action now."
The additional 3 deaths reported include:
- A Garland man in his 50s who was had been critically ill in an area hospital.
- A Mesquite woman in 70s who was had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 90s who had been hospitalized,and had underlying high risk health conditions.
The provisional 7-day average daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 41 was 482, an increase from the previous daily average of 385 for CDC week 40.
The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has increased to 11.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 41 (week ending 10/10/20).
A provisional total of 406 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in school-aged children (5 to 17 years) during CDC week 41, which is over twice the numbers of children diagnosed in this age group 4 weeks earlier (CDC week ending 9/12/2020).
Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age.
Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 24% have been associated with long-term care facilities.
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