'Essential' Workers Account For More Than Half Of Dallas County's Hospitalized Coronavirus Cases
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - New data released by Dallas County suggests higher rates of hospitalization among residents allowed to work throughout the county's stay-at-home order.
"It's a really hard decision," said Jody Allison of Arlington.
She can't afford to get sick. She has an autoimmune disorder and pending heart surgery.
Her husband is an electrician, who is still working in North Texas.
"If you choose not to go to work and you're considered an essential employee, you don't get unemployment," she said, explaining the pressure to continue risking exposure to the virus at work.
A Dallas County report released Tuesday shows more than half of the COVID-19 patients admitted to Dallas County hospitals qualify as essential workers.
Of those reported to be employed, about 79% worked in industries allowed to continue to operate throughout the shutdown.
The county has already traced some infections to patients' workplaces.
"We're having outbreaks in a sausage factory and some food service places," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins at a press conference Tuesday.
The Quality Sausage Company in Dallas has suspended operations after reports of two workers who died.
At the Dallas County jail, 15 employees have tested positive.
Overall, healthcare, transportation, and food service workers had the highest hospitalization numbers in the county.
With more Texans returning to work Friday, Jenkins warned the risk of exposure will increase.
"We're going to see more and more movement out there and we're going to see more and more opportunity for asymptomatic COVID (cases) to bump into you and get you sick," he said
Allison said someone at one of her husband's work sites has already tested positive.
Her family is taking her doctors' advice and being cautious.
"My doctors are very nervous. They told us to just pretend like every single person you come into contact with it just think they have it, because there are so many people who are asymptomatic," she said.