Dallas County reports 21 new coronavirus cases; there are signs of community spread
There are continuing signs of community spread of the coronavirus in Dallas County, with 21 new cases confirmed Saturday, officials said.
There are now 95 cases across the county. Of all the county residents who have tested positive, officials said in a news release on Saturday, more than 40 percent haven’t come into contact with someone known to have coronavirus or traveled recently out of Texas.
A host of restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the virus have recently gone into effect, including limiting gatherings and suspending dine-in services at bars and restaurants.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins emphasized though more cases are being reported, the measures have had an impact.
“Community spread is accelerating rapidly but not as fast as it would without the way this community is stepping up,” he said in the release. “The responsible actions of the people of Dallas County are helping to slow the spread of the virus.”
Dallas County isn’t releasing information on specific cases to protect the individuals’ privacy.
There has been a steady stream of new coronavirus cases in Dallas County over the past week, including the 19 cases that were announced on Friday.
A summary of the new cases announced on Saturday wasn’t available. But the county on Friday provided a summary of confirmed cases up to that point, which showed there had been 51 cases in the City of Dallas, five in Irving and four in both Garland and Mesquite.
A Richardson man in his 60s died of the coronavirus, the first reported death in Dallas County.
Thirteen new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Tarrant County on Saturday, bringing its total to 42.
There have been 18 cases in Denton County, including four residents at the Denton State Supported Living Center.
This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Dallas County reports 21 new coronavirus cases; there are signs of community spread."
