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

Tarrant County reports four more coronavirus deaths, bringing total to 25

Tarrant County confirmed four more coronavirus deaths Saturday, bringing the total number of residents who have died due to the virus to 25.

Three Fort Worth residents died, including a woman in her late 40s, a man in his 60s and a man in his 70s, officials said. A Sansom Park man in his 80s also died.

All of them reportedly had underlying health conditions.

There have been 90 recoveries, officials said Saturday.

As of Saturday, there were 787 confirmed cases across Tarrant County, an increase of 82 cases from Friday’s report, according to the county Department of Health website.

Dallas County reports 107 new coronavirus cases, 2 deaths

Dallas County reported an additional 107 coronavirus cases and two deaths on Saturday.

There have now been 1,644 coronavirus cases across the county and 27 deaths as of Saturday, officials said.

The two individuals who died from COVID-19 included a Garland man in his 60s and a Grand Prairie man in his 70s, according to a news release from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. Both had underlying health conditions.

Of cases in the county requiring hospitalization, 69 percent have involved residents who are either over the age of 60 or have had at least one known high-risk chronic health condition, according to the release. About one-third of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients have had diabetes.

Jenkins looked ahead to Easter in the news release, noting it will be different this year “but need not be less special.”

“Just as Americans overcame the measles epidemic of 1918 and WWII, we will come through this and will emerge stronger together,” he said.

Abbott to reveal plans next week related to reopening Texas businesses amid coronavirus

Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he would be issuing an executive order next week that will address reopening businesses while maintaining health and safety as the number of cases of the novel coronavirus continues to rise in Texas.

“We will focus on protecting lives while restoring livelihoods. We can and we must do this. We can do both: expand and restore the livelihoods that Texans want to have by helping them return to work,” Abbott said from the Texas Capitol.

When asked whether most Texans will have to have been tested for COVID-19 in order to go back to work, Abbott said testing would be an aspect, but that more details would come next week.

“I will tell you that testing will be a component of it. And we will operate very strategically. We want to open up. But we want to open up safely, knowing that if we do it too fast without the appropriate strategies, it will just lead to a potential closure because of another outbreak of COVID-19,” Abbott said.

His announcement comes amid record job losses. According to figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday, more than 761,000 Texans have filed for unemployment in the past four weeks — more than the total number of claims filed in the state for all of 2019.

On a call organized by the Republican Party of Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday he wants Texas to be ready to revitalize the economy as soon as feasible, and pointed to the first week of May as a possible date — the same time that Abbott’s current executive order requiring Texans to stay home unless participating in activities deemed “essential” by the state is set to end.

Fort Worth-area city organizes an Easter egg hunt, but it’s virtual

Kids won’t have to forego hunting for Easter eggs because of COVID-19, but they won’t find the eggs outside.

Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain posted on his Facebook page that the city wanted children and their families to have fun while practicing social distancing on Easter.

“A lot of cities are closing parks on Sunday. We wanted to find an alternative since people often go to parks to hunt eggs. Since everything is virtual at this time, why not do a virtual egg hunt?” he said.

The fun starts at 3 p.m. when families can visit the city’s Facebook page. Every six minutes photos and clues will be posted on where to find the eggs. The clues are about local businesses. The first two people to find each egg or prize gets a $25 gift card to a particular business.

Most of the businesses participating have been designated nonessential, and some sell their products online while others will open once the stay-at-home order is lifted.

Court blocks Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order limiting suspect access to no-cost bonds

A judge pushed pause late Friday on an executive order issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in March that restricted access to awarding personal recognizance bonds to certain suspects.

In response to discussions and concerns about emptying the jails of violent suspects to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Abbott signed the executive order to prevent a widespread release of certain inmates on personal recognizance bonds.

Criminal justice reform advocate organizations and Harris County magistrates argued and then filed a lawsuit saying the order was unconstitutional and created a two-tier bond system in favor of wealthy suspects.

Also called personal bonds, these are issued by judges and allow suspects the opportunity to be released from jail at minimal or no cost while awaiting trial.

The ACLU of Texas and other criminal justice reform organizations sued Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, arguing that Abbott did not have the authority to issue the order in addition to the order being unconstitutional.

“We are pleased that the Court recognized the urgency of this matter and the need to press pause while it is heard in full,” said Andre Segura, the ACLU of Texas attorney who argued before the court on Friday. “The Governor has an important role to play in responding to this pandemic, but the Governor cannot impede the ability of judges to use their discretion to release particular individuals, especially when lives are at risk.”

Court proceedings are expected to be held to decide whether Abbott had the authority to issue the order in the first place or whether it meets constitutional muster.

Federal appeals court blocks most abortions, allows few to proceed in TX amid coronavirus

In the back-and-forth rulings over whether Texas can maintain its ban on most abortions amid the novel coronavirus’ spread, a federal appeals court ruled Friday that only a narrow set of abortion procedures may continue.

A panel of judges at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals based in New Orleans once again ruled in favor of Texas, granting a stay that reversed, in part, a federal judge’s ruling that had been issued just a day before in Austin.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling states that abortions will only be permitted for patients who would be unable to access services during Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on elective medical procedures due to limits on gestational age.

In Texas, abortions are banned in cases where the woman is 22 weeks past her last menstrual period. Under the appeals-court ruling then, abortions will be permitted only for patients who would have reached that limit before Abbott’s order expires on April 22.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin had issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, granting abortion providers’ narrower request to also allow medical abortions, that are often induced by ingesting pills, in addition to abortion procedures for patients facing the limits on gestational age.

Attorney General Ken Paxton submitted an appeal of Yeakel’s ruling on Friday, and vowed to defend Abbott’s executive order “to ensure that hardworking medical professionals receive the supplies and personal protective gear they need to successfully combat this health crisis.”

Lakeside man is 21st coronavirus death in Tarrant County; 68 new cases reported

A Lakeside man in his 80s is the 21st coronavirus-related death in Tarrant County.

The man had underlying health conditions. This is the first pandemic-related death in Lakeside, which is located on the west side of Lake Worth. As of Friday, Lakeside had three confirmed cases, including two recoveries.

There have been eight coronavirus-related deaths in Fort Worth, three in Arlington, two each in Haltom City and Forest Hill, and one each in Hurst, Euless, Grand Prairie, River Oaks and Southlake.

The county has reported 705 total cases as of Friday, an increase of 68 from Thursday, and reports 90 patients have recovered as of Friday morning.

County officials urged residents to stay home as much as possible and maintain social distancing

“Right now, that is the best way to protect against this virus,” Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said in a news release. “The measures we’re following are working, so everyone needs to stay the course.”

Dallas County confirms 3 more coronavirus deaths, 105 new cases

Dallas County confirmed three more coronavirus-related deaths and 105 new cases on Friday.

The county has reported 25 pandemic-related deaths. The deaths reported Friday were two Dallas men in their 80s and a woman in her 90s who was a resident of a Dallas long-term care facility.

All three had underlying health conditions and had been hospitalized.

The county has confirmed a total of 1,537 COVID-19 cases.

Denton County reports 10th coronavirus death; jail inmate among 28 new cases

A Lewisville man in his 60s is the 10th contracted COVID-19 death in Denton County. He had been hospitalized and contracted the virus through recent travel.

The county announced 28 new pandemic cases Friday, including at the Denton State Supported Living Center and the first one at the Denton County Jail. There have been 454 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county, including 131 recoveries.

“The seriousness of taking precautions cannot be overstated,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads said. “With community spread endemic in our county, we must take the necessary steps to ensure we do not contribute to the problem.”

Jail officials are working with county health officials to minimize exposures within the jail. They have implemented isolation protocols for the patients, which includes a newly opened quarantine pod and single isolation cell.

Another of the new cases is a resident of the state-supported living center, bringing the total infected at the facility to 98, including 51 residents and 47 employees.

McKinney man, 90, dies and is seventh coronavirus death in Collin County

A 90-year-old McKinney man has died, and his death is the seventh coronavirus-related death in Collin County.

The death is the third COVID-19 death in McKinney. The county announced 19 new cases, including six in McKinney.

Of the 425 total confirmed cases in the county, 194 patients have recovered and 30 are hospitalized.

There have been 91 patients in their 40s, 91 in their 50s, 86 in their 30s, 62 in their 60s and 56 in their 20s. Sixteen patients are 70 or older and 12 patients are 19 or younger.

Burleson coronavirus cases up to 18, including three recoveries

Johnson County has confirmed 31 coronavirus cases, including 18 in Burleson.

Burleson added two cases Thursday and announced three recoveries.

Other Johnson County COVID-19 cases include four in Cleburne, six in unincorporated Johnson County, and one each in Mansfield, Keene, Venus and Joshua. The Mansfield patient has recovered.

Of the 15 active cases in Burleson, five people are in their 40s, three are in their 50s and three are in their 20s. There is also a 14-year-old, 35-year-old female, 77-year-old male and 80-year-old male.

Two more Fort Worth police officers test positive for coronavirus, to recover at home

Two more Fort Worth police officers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the department said Friday.

The officers have not worked since April 1 and are recovering at home and doing well.

Six Fort Worth officers have tested positive for the virus in total, according to the department. The first positive tests were on March 28, when two officers received that result.

How much coronavirus stimulus money will Fort Worth area colleges get?

Colleges are on the verge of receiving billions of dollars in stimulus funding to help them and the students who go there in the wake of the novel coronavirus.

More than $60 million has been earmarked to help colleges in Tarrant County, the U.S. Department of Education announced this week.

“We prioritized getting funding out the door quickly to college students who need it most,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement, noting that the money is to be distributed immediately. “We don’t want unmet financial needs due to the coronavirus to derail their learning.”

Colleges that receive the money are to give cash grants to students for housing, food, course materials, technology, health care or childcare, according to the education department.

Half the money each college will receive is earmarked for emergency student aid. Officials at each college will determine which students most need the grants.

As coronavirus concerns persist, Cook Children’s will limit patients to one visitor

Cook Children’s Medical Center will limit patients to one adult visitor beginning Monday as concern persists about the spread of the novel coronavirus.

For the last four weeks, the Fort Worth hospital had permitted two adults to visit a patient.

The visitation policy is in accordance with a mandate issued by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The policy allows for exceptions for patients near death and for visits to the hospital’s emergency department.

“We recognize the challenges this new visitation policy will pose to many families seeking care at Cook Children’s,” Nancy Cychol, chief of hospital services and affiliate ventures, wrote in a statement.

Lockheed Martin won’t allow every employee wear N95 masks despite coronavirus cases

Lockheed Martin is not allowing employees who haven’t completed training and certification to wear N95 masks at work. But the training needed has been suspended, according to emails obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The email about the masks, which was sent to employees on April 7 — six days after an employee was diagnosed with COVID-19 — says allowing employees to wear the masks without training would rapidly deplete the “very limited remaining stock.”

“It would result in us not having them for the employees that truly need them to perform their jobs,” the email says. “The training and certification requirement is there for a reason and we are not going to compromise our standard on this item.”

N95 masks are respirators that reduce exposure to particles, including small particle aerosols and large droplets, which can reduce the chance of someone contracting the coronavirus and reduce the chance of someone spreading it if they unknowingly have been infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Improper reuse of a dirty or old masks by untrained personnel has the potential to make people sick, according to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

XFL suspends operation permanently, cites coronavirus

The XFL’s second attempt at spring football didn’t make it a full season. On Friday, the XFL told its employees that the league is suspending operations.

Per a source, XFL CEO Jeffrey Pollack held a Zoom call with employees from all over the eight-team league. The call lasted 10 minutes, and “We were told the league was suspending operations, and all employees were terminated effectively immediately.”

A call to XFL commissioner Oliver Luck was not returned. It is not certain whether the most visible football-person with the XFL is still with it.

The league suspended play after five games into its 10-game schedule because of the coronavirus. The league had pledged to come back for a second season, and at the time planned to maintain all operations.

The person on the conference call on Friday said there was no mention of the 2021 season. According to a report on ESPN, a staffer said the league will not come back.

Is there a plan to reopen North Texas businesses after coronavirus? They’re working on it

When the coronavirus pandemic passes, Fort Worth-area officials hope a unified framework will allow Metroplex residents to return to life as normal at roughly the same time across the region.

The plan is in its infancy, but Dallas-Fort Worth area county judges and health care experts agree the region needs to establish guidelines for when travel and businesses can reopen, said Mike Eastland, director of the 16-county North Central Texas Council of Governments. A draft of the proposal could be finished as early as next week, though the actual end of the pandemic is likely several weeks away.

“We’re really, really early in the process, but we know the day will come and we want to be ahead of it,” Eastland said.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said he hopes DFW can have a consistent plan to reopen across the region. As the coronavirus began to spread in March, a patchwork of conflicting regulations quickly popped up as Gov. Greg Abbott balked at a Texas-wide mandate and local leaders attempted to curb the infection rate.

“There might be one of us on either side that’s rogue, but I think we ought to reopen consistently,” Whitley said.

It’s unclear what the stages of weakening restrictions will look like.

Whitley speculated that one phase could include allowing bars and restaurants to reopen at half the building’s capacity. Another option could be requiring stores to screen incoming customers for temperatures. Employees might have to wear masks and gloves, he said.

This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates April 11: Here’s what to know in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."