Dallas County Reports 403 New Coronavirus Cases, 6 More Deaths
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 403 more positive COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total case count in Dallas County to 18,538.
The county also confirmed six more deaths, bringing the total to 334.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins is advising people to reconsider visiting businesses where a mask cannot be worn at all times. The example he gave was a spin class.
He also said during a news conference Thursday afternoon, "Folks, do we really need to go to a bar right now, given the situation we're in?"
An increasing proportion of COVID-19 cases in Dallas County are being diagnosed in young adults between 18 to 39 years of age, such that of all cases reported after June 1, more than half have been in this age group.
Of cases requiring hospitalization, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age, and about half do not have any high-risk chronic health conditions.
Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
'Today's numbers continue the trend of increasing hospitalizations and new COVID-19 positive cases. Additionally, we are beginning to see more spread amongst children in daycare and young people who attend bars or work in the service industries," said Judge Jenkins. "Today the Governor stopped elective surgeries in hospitals in Dallas County and this will increase hospital capacity, as less people will need beds to recuperate from elective surgery. This move was necessary due to the wave of new COVID-19 cases we are seeing that are beginning to fill up the hospitals."
The additional six deaths in the county include:
- A Dallas man in his 60s who had been hospitalized and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 70s who died in a hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 70s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 80s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 80s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
Judge Jenkins went on to say in a statement:
I am encouraging our surrounding counties to institute a requirement on businesses to ensure the wearing of face masks and am calling on the Governor to make the face mask ordinance statewide.
I'm also calling on the Governor to make the recommendations in the Open Texas documents into requirements. if not statewide, then at least for the counties and regions like DFW and the Harris County metro area.
In May, when the Governor took over the COVID-19 response from the local leaders. he restricted our ability to either keep the ordinances in place that we had or work with business and healthcare to create new ones.
At this point with the speed of the spread. it would be most beneficial if the Governor would act on a regional or statewide basis to quickly follow the advice of the top doctors on infectious disease. epidemiology, and public health in Harris. Dallas. Bexar and Travis Counties.
Barring that, restoring the traditional powers of local leaders to deal with emergencies would allow us more tools to try to reverse this disturbing trend.
I strongly recommend that you do not go to places where 100% masking cannot be accomplished. Places like bars. that are not necessities but are desires and where nusking cannot occur 100% of the time, should be avoided. Avoid unnecessary crowds, maintain six foot distancing, wear a mask when outside your home and around others, and use good hand hygiene. The best way to reverse the trend and #FlattenThcCurve is to #WearAMask and #StayHomeSaveLives.
