Coronavirus In Tarrant County: 4 More Deaths Reported, 103 Total Recoveries
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Tarrant County officials Tuesday shut down the slight possibility of ending stay home orders before the end of April, citing success with restrictions slowing the spread of the virus.
County Judge Glen Whitley said he now expected it could be the first or second week of May before rules would relax.
County judges and mayors across the region, have begun phone conversations about the process, Whitley said, and it's possible medical executives could have some recommendations back this week.
Tarrant County health officials announced Tuesday that four more people have died from the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 29.
Officials said the deaths were a man in his 70s and two men and a woman in their 80s. All four were residents of Fort Worth and had underlying health conditions.
While the county reported that there are now 29 total deaths from COVID-19, officials did say that 103 patients have recovered from the virus. There have been 876 total confirmed cases as of Monday.
"We are saddened by every death that occurs because of this virus," Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said. "Our best hope to save lives in the future is to persevere; keep following the guidelines, and we will emerge stronger than before."
During a county commissioners meeting Tuesday, Taneja pointed to projections that showed a much lower peak in the county, but it was one that might not arrive until June. He continued to encourage the current restrictions in place.
Sheriff Bill Waybourn told county leaders the jail could expect to see its population rise by as many as 400 inmates in the next few weeks. That's after the Texas Department of Criminal Justice stopped receiving new inmates while it tries to stop the spread of the virus in its facilities.
Tarrant County had its first two positive tests among inmates during the past weekend. Waybourn said one of the two had been in the jail since December, and they did not know yet exactly how the virus was transmitted.
Tarrant County remains under stay-at-home order that was recently extended to the end of April. Residents are ordered to stay in their homes unless they need to leave for essential activities such as grocery shopping, medical reasons or jobs that are still open.
