We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about coronavirus in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Check back for updates.

Tarrant County confirms its second and third coronavirus deaths, in Hurst, Fort Worth

A man from Hurst and a woman from Fort Worth are the second and third deaths in Tarrant County related to the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday morning.

Both patients had underlying health conditions. No other details, including age or how they contracted the virus, were released.

“We express our deepest sympathy to the families,” Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said in a news release.

The county also announced 15 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday for a total of 288, which includes 18 patients who have recovered.

More than 1,300 cases have been reported across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with more than 4,000 cases and 58 deaths across the state as of Wedneday evening.

Dallas County sees its coronavirus curve rise with 2 more deaths, 100 new cases

Dallas County has confirmed two more deaths and 100 new coronavirus cases Wednesday.

The county has a total of 731 COVID-19 cases.

A Mesquite man in his 50s and a Garland woman in her 80s are the 14th and 15th coronavirus-related deaths in the county. Both had been critically ill in area hospitals, county officials said.

“We’re beginning to see the curve rise and we all must do our part to exercise personal responsibility,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a news release.

Collin County adds 26 coronavirus cases, including 12 more in Plano

Collin County confirmed 26 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, including 12 new patients in Plano.

There have been 184 cases, including 130 active cases and 53 patients who have recovered. There has been one COVID-19-related death in the county.

Plano has a county-high 68 cases, McKinney has 36 and Frisco has 25.

Little Fort Worth grocery store has big heart with giveaways amid coronavirus pandemic

For some time, the line of cars and trucks at Neighbor’s House Grocery in downtown Fort Worth was steady on Tuesday afternoon.

After all, grocer Kyle Cowan, his wife and volunteers were giving away bags of groceries to families in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Not one bag or two, but five bags.

“We’ve packed them with bread, produce, milk, eggs. Whatever we had, we put it in there,” said Cowan, who wore a face mask on Tuesday for the giveaway.

Cowan was hoping to pass out enough bags to feed 100 families.

This from the little grocery store in downtown Fort Worth which just opened six months ago.

The small grocery store at 500 W. 7th St. is open for business, but it had to close its restaurant about two weeks ago.

And that’s when the grocery store began its campaign to help Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents.

Workers and volunteers at Neighbor’s House Grocery passed out 300 lunches valued at $40 each to residents.

Last week, they passed out about 200 dinners.

After getting the word out about their grocery giveaway, they provided curbside service and handed out groceries valued at about $150 for the five bags.

Residents called in to reserve their spots, and Cowan stood on a sidewalk Tuesday afternoon checking off the names of people receiving their groceries.

Fort Worth residents should expect to stay home through April to combat coronavirus

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said Tuesday she expects the city council will extend the local disaster declaration, which has closed non-essential businesses and ordered residents to stay home, through the end of April.

The Fort Worth City Council is expected to vote on the extension April 7, the day the current declaration is set to expire.

Fort Worth and Tarrant County joined Texas’ most populous regions last week in ordering residents to stay home. Those combined orders account for 70% of the state’s population and follow a decision by Gov. Greg Abbott to leave shelter-in-place orders at the discretion of local authorities.

The city and county first declared a state of disaster due to coronavirus on March 13, closing bars and restaurants. Each has continued to tighten restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The city and county ordered non-essential businesses to close March 21, sparking confusion about what makes a business essential.

“What we really need is for every one of you to comply, and only be around your family, and only go out when absolutely essential,” Price said Tuesday afternoon during her daily Facebook Live briefing.

The expected extension brings Fort Worth in line with orders from Abbott and President Donald Trump urging social distancing through April 30. Abbott issued new statewide restrictions Tuesday, requiring Texans to abide by social distancing measures, deeming certain businesses essential and extending Texas school closures through April in an effort to limit the novel coronavirus’ spread in Texas.

Coronavirus ER visits in Tarrant County decline after business closures in mid-March

The share of patients seeking emergency care for symptoms associated with coronavirus has declined in Tarrant County since restrictions were enacted that closed restaurants, schools and bars and limited gatherings to 10 people.

On March 16, data released by the county indicates that 120 people visited the emergency rooms of Tarrant’s 16 hospitals with COVID-19 symptoms. They represented 4 percent of total ER visits. But by March 20, ER visitors with COVID-19 symptoms had fallen by nearly half, to about 65 visitors and just over 2 percent of total visits. The number between March 20 and March 24 varied but never surpassed about 90 visitors, staying below the March 16 total.

The decline in ER visitors with coronavirus symptoms coincided with a Fort Worth citywide order that created social distancing guidelines for many businesses on March 16 and a countywide order to close all restaurants and bars March 18.

Results were not made available for emergency room visits since March 24. Tarrant County announced a stay-at-home order, with even stricter regulations than the restaurant and bar closures, on March 24.

More than half of Tarrant coronavirus cases locally transmitted; 20 new cases reported Tuesday

Tarrant County confirmed 20 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, for a total of 175 cases.

Additionally, the county has 98 provisional cases, and eight patients have recovered.

More than 50% of the cases (91 patients) contracted the virus through community spread, including 76 patients from an unknown source, according to the Tarrant County Public Health Department.

The cases are spread across 26 cities, plus unincorporated Tarrant County, including a county-high 61 in Fort Worth, 58 cases of which are active. There are 33 additional provisional cases in Fort Worth under investigation. Arlington has 27 confirmed cases and 19 provisional cases.

Dallas County adds 82 new coronavirus patients as ICU surge passes peak flu levels

Dallas County confirmed 82 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as health officials report that COVID-19 intensive care unit hospitalizations have exceeded the highest in a week from influenza during the 2019-20 flu season.

There have been 631 COVID-19 cases, including 13 deaths, across 20 cities in the county. Dallas leads the county with 391 cases. There are 40 in Garland, 33 in Irving, 23 in DeSoto and 19 in Mesquite. A Rowlett man in his 50s and a Dallas man in his 90s, both with high-risk, chronic health conditions, were confirmed the 12th and 13th COVID-19-related deaths in the county.

Between March 10-30, the county reports 59 COVID-19 patients were admitted to an ICU, including 42 who needed mechanical ventilation.

In the past week, 26 patients, including two who died, contracted the virus at long-term care facilities.

Denton County records fourth death, extends stay order as 70% of cases spread locally

Denton County reported its fourth coronavirus-related death and 15 more cases to bring the countywide case total to 206.

The county commissioners extended the stay-at-home mandate to April 7, and Denton County Judge Andy Eads said it’s likely to continue longer.

Health officials confirmed the death of a The Colony man in his 60s. He had contracted COVID-19 locally and had been hospitalized.

“Today, we have learned of yet another death due to COVID-19 which has impacted our communities in Denton County,” Eads said in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to this man’s family as well as the families of those who have also been victims of this terrible pandemic.”

Another resident and an employee at the Denton State Supported Living Center are included in the 15 new patients. Fifty residents and 23 employees at the center have now contracted COVID-19.

Collin County revokes shelter-in-place that allowed non-essential businesses to stay open

Collin County revoked its shelter-in-place order Tuesday that previously allowed all businesses to remain open despite concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

County Judge Chris Hill rescinded the order after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott passed an executive order Tuesday that mandated the closure of non-essential businesses, such as gyms, tattoo and piercing studios, cosmetology salons, and dining-in at restaurants and bars.

Services that are not deemed “essential” should operate remotely, according to the order.

Hill’s original order, passed on March 24, allowed all businesses to stay open as long as customers and employees followed rules such as maintaining a 6-foot distance from others and having only 10 people inside a business.

Third Fort Worth police officer tests positive for coronavirus, department says

A third Fort Worth police officer who had worked in the same unit as the other officers with the virus has tested positive for coronavirus, police officials announced on Tuesday.

The officer is in self-isolation at home, just like the other two.

“We are taking every precaution to stop the spread,” according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon by police officials. “Our department has created a dedicated team to investigate and backtrack the movements and encounters of these officers with others. They are notifying anyone that may be at risk and may need to self-isolate.”

Four Dallas police officers also have tested positive.

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates April 1: Here’s what to know in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."