Dallas County Sees Record High For New COVID-19 Cases With 2,438, Dozen More Deaths
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County Health and Human Services reported a single-day record high of 2,438 additional positive cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Of those, 1,942 are confirmed cases and 496 are probable cases.
The county also announced 12 more deaths.
There is a cumulative total of 149,533 cases (PCR test), including 1,403 deaths.
"Today's number of 2,438 cases is 250 more new cases than we have ever experienced in any one day," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins in a statement. "With the unprecedented high spread we are experiencing, it is important that people plan ahead to avoid crowds."
Judge Jenkins reminds residents during the Christmas shopping season, shopping for food and gifts can be done online and with curbside or at-home delivery.
"Although this requires a little more planning, it will be well worth it in keeping you, your family, your community and ultimately your country a little bit stronger," Judge Jenkins said.
The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 49 has increased to 1,647, which is a rate of 62.5 daily new cases per 100,000 residents—the highest case rate in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic.
The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 21.6% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 49 (week ending 12/5/20).
Over the past 30 days, there have been 4,520 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 735 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 681 staff members.
Of these cases, 534 have been associated with extracurricular activities, including athletics.
There are currently 93 active long-term care facility outbreaks.
Over the past 30 days, a total of 848 COVID-19 cases have been reported from these facilities, including 317 staff members. Of these cases 32 have been hospitalized, and 33 have died, including 2 deaths of staff members.
Twenty-six outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 165 cases, including 6 hospitalizations.
One facility has reported 89 COVID-19 outbreak cases since October.
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 22% have been associated with long-term care facilities.
The additional deaths reported Wednesday include the following:
- A man in his 40's who was a resident of the City of Garland. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50's who was a resident of the City of Seagoville. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Richardson. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Cedar Hill. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
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