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.

Abbott announces $50M in small business loans, strategies to reopen amid coronavirus

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday $50 million in loans for small businesses in Texas and said he will reveal strategies later this week related to reopening businesses amid the novel coronavirus’ spread.

“What this capital will do will provide these companies the resources they need to keep employees on the payroll for the remaining few weeks or so until businesses can begin that process of opening back up,” Abbott said during a Monday press conference.

Abbott was joined via Zoom, the video-conferencing platform, by Janie Barrera, the president and CEO of LiftFund, a San Antonio-based nonprofit that holds the nation’s largest microlending portfolio; John Waldron, the president and chief operating officer of The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.; and small business owners from Dallas and San Antonio.

The $50 million “infusion of capital” is part of a $550 million national commitment from Goldman Sachs. LiftFund, along with other community development financial institutions that focus on serving underserved markets and populations, will work to administer the funds to qualifying businesses.

LiftFund supports small businesses across 13 states primarily in the Midwest and South, and is already offering disaster-relief loans up to $50,000 for small businesses facing financial hardships due to the pandemic, according to its website.

The loans will be primarily used for payroll to ensure employees are paid and retained, according to a news release. The loans will be partially or wholly forgiven if criteria are met, and will be made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, Waldron said. Small businesses can learn more about the program by visiting LiftFund’s website.

After slow Sunday, Tarrant County coronavirus cases rise again with 70 reported Monday

Tarrant County confirmed 70 new coronavirus cases Monday for a total of 876.

The county has reported 25 deaths and 103 recoveries.

The sharper rise in cases comes after a decline in new cases reported Sunday.

Fort Worth has 335 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 38 recoveries and 12 deaths. Arlington has 145 confirmed cases, including 18 recoveries and three deaths.

Forty-one percent of patients are between the ages of 45 to 64, 35% are 25 to 44, and 19% are 65 or older. Five percent of patients are 24 or younger.

Dallas County confirms 32nd coronavirus death, 65 new cases

Dallas County reported its 32nd coronavirus-related death and 65 new cases Monday.

The 32nd death was a woman in her 80s who was a resident of a Dallas long-term care facility. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying health conditions.

There have been 1,788 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county.

Of cases requiring hospitalization, 69% have been over 60 years old or have had at least one known high-risk chronic health condition. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about 30% of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

“Today’s numbers may be artificially low due to some labs being closed [Sunday],” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a news release. “Safer At Home is working because the vast majority of the people of North Texas are making good personal responsibility decisions. Keep it up and together we will ‘Flatten The Curve.’”

Will coronavirus lead to higher property tax bills? It can, under new Texas law

Texas lawmakers last year passed a bill that limits how much cities and counties could raise property taxes.

They capped the property tax revenue increase at 3.5% over the previous year — and said local officials would have to get voter approval if they wanted to raise it more than that.

But a provision in Senate Bill 2 could end up raising tax bills for many Texans this year — all because of the novel coronavirus.

Section 26.07 ( b) of SB 2 notes that cities and counties that need more money to deal with a disaster may raise property tax revenue at the previous limit, which was 8%, without an election, if the governor has declared that area a disaster.

“This opens the door for local taxing jurisdictions to increase tax rates more aggressively,” Lorri Michel, a Texas property tax attorney, said in a statement.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently cautioned cities and counties about using this loophole.

“No local government should even be thinking about raising taxes,” he said. “That is the worst thing that could possibly happen.”

Patrick said he believes the federal government will “step in and make most states whole, and cities and counties, as we go through this. So there’s no reason for anyone to have (to) raise taxes during this period of time.”

School districts will still be held to a 2.5% cap under SB 2.

Collin County reports 2 coronavirus deaths, including 5th in McKinney, for total of 10

Collin County confirmed two more coronavirus deaths Monday, including the fifth in McKinney and first in Wylie.

There have been 10 total confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in the county, including one each in Anna, Frisco, Plano and Dallas.

An 88-year-old woman from Wylie and a 82-year-old woman from McKinney, both with underlying health conditions, died early Monday morning, according to health officials. The McKinney woman died at her home, and the Wylie woman died at a local hospital. Both women were diagnosed with COVID-19 late last week.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of both these ladies,” Collin County Judge Chris Hill said in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this time.”

There have been 472 confirmed cases in the county, including 96 in McKinney and 12 in Wylie. Of the total confirmed cases, 259 patients have recovered and 20 are hospitalized.

Jail confirms 2 Tarrant County inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus

Two Tarrant County jail inmates have received positive test results saying they have contracted COVID-19, according to a news release issued Monday by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

The two inmates have been quarantined since they first reported symptoms last week, the release said.

Several other inmates with flu-like symptoms have received negative coronavirus tests results, the release said.

Jail staff instituted mandatory multiple temperature checks daily for food vendor employees, inmates and staff as well as started contact tracing to identify people who may have been in close proximity to the infected inmates, the release said.

Several areas within the jail will remain on quarantine status until all inmates are confirmed COVID-19 free in order to curb the spread of the disease, the release said.

Tarrant County has the 15th largest jail in the United States, according to the release.

Coronavirus strikes Bell helicopter workers in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and Canada

Four workers at Fort Worth-based Bell, a defense and commercial aviation company that specializes in building helicopters and developing drone technology, have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said.

One employee has fully recovered and will return to work Tuesday, a company spokeswoman said. The other three workers are recovering at their respective homes.

Two of the workers were based at Bell’s Fort Worth plant, just south of Hurst, and a third employee was based in Grand Prairie. A fourth case involved a worker at Bell’s facility in Mirabel, Canada.

“We can confirm that three cases were contracted while the employees were out of the office, and they did not return to work afterward,” spokeswoman Lindsey Hughes said in an email. “The one case at our Grand Prairie facility, the employee had been out of the office for three weeks with another illness when they tested positive.”

Denton County confirms 25 new coronavirus cases, including 3 more at living center

Denton County reported 25 new coronavirus cases Monday, including three new cases in residents of the Denton State Supported Living Center.

The county now has 507 total COVID-19 cases, including 13 deaths and 182 recovered patients. The number of active cases dropped to 312 on Monday after three days of increasing. That’s 26 fewer than on Thursday.

At least 100 people have been infected at the DSSLC, including 53 residents and 47 employees.

The city of Denton has confirmed 90 cases, not including the 53 center residents. Infected center employees are counted in the city where they reside.

Long-term care facilities in the county have a total of 17 coronavirus cases.

Denton County cases have come mostly through community spread, with 396 from local transmission, including 208 patients who contracted the virus from contact with a known case. Recent travel was listed as the cause for 108 patients and five transmission types were undetermined.

American Airlines, other companies sweeten frequent flyer programs due to coronavirus

Airlines are sweetening their frequent flyer miles programs to raise money and encourage customers to resume their travel plans after the coronavirus crisis passes.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines is making it easier for travelers to become elite members of its frequent flyer program, AAdvantage. American also is extending some AAdvantage benefits until Jan. 31, 2022, giving customers more time to use the amenities.

The airline is extending Admirals Club memberships purchased from American for an additional six months, and introducing $400 credits for future travel packages on American Airlines Vacations.

Other airlines such as United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. are selling more of their miles in bulk to credit card partners as a way to raise money at a time when few people are flying, the Wall Street Journal reported.

More North Texas residents wearing face masks in public

Adrienne Phillips and her 16-year-old daughter, Lila Phillips, have evolved on the use of face masks.

When the two visited Texas A&M in College Station in late January as part of a round of college tours, they found it odd to pass other people on campus with cloth covering the bottoms of their faces — an overreaction, they thought, to a virus that had only recently arrived in Washington. “They’re so funny,” Adrienne remembers thinking of all those who looked dressed for a hospital. “They’re really freaked out.”

She and her daughter have changed their attitudes, as each week has brought more research about COVID-19 and how it spreads, and new guidance.

“Now I’m like, ‘Well, maybe they were the smart ones,’” Adrienne said.

On Friday, the mother and daughter from Aledo wore N95 respirator masks as they walked into the Target off of West Seventh Street in Fort Worth. Adrienne and her husband had stowed the masks away years ago as a precaution, in case there was ever a situation when their family of six would need them.

That moment, which Adrienne never imagined would happen in a world before the coronavirus, came last week.

“Listening to that this next two weeks is going to be really hard for Texas, and kind of a peak ... that just made me want to be more and more careful,” she said. “I do feel like that’s kind of our duty right now. It feels really ridiculous sometimes, but I feel like that’s the smallest thing I can to try to keep other people safe, and my family safe.”

Her shift in thinking is representative of those of countless Texans who have heeded recent advice from the Centers for Disease for Control, after the agency altered its original position on face masks on April 3. Throughout March, the agency had suggested masks only needed to be worn by elderly people or individuals with underlying health conditions, and weren’t necessary for members of the general public.

Coronavirus canceled the circus. Now these performers are stuck in Tarrant County.

Exequiel Lopez hoisted himself up in the air and spun around, first horizontally, then upside down, supporting himself with one arm. Ideally he’d be several feet in the air above a circus-tent crowd in some North Texas town, but on this hot Wednesday afternoon he settled for a shade tree in a vacant Grand Prairie parking lot, his aerial straps tied around a formidable branch.

Lopez, originally from Argentina, is one of more than 40 members of the Cirque MonteCarlo circus troupe camped out in the deserted parking lot. The novel coronavirus outbreak and the government-mandated shutdowns that followed cut the circus tour season short just as it was beginning. Speaking in Spanish, Lopez said he must continue to perform and practice, even if it’s in a tree, just to stay busy.

“That’s why we practice, you know. We want to keep it going, somehow, even if it’s just for us,” said Franchesca Cavallini, 23, whose expertise is hula hooping. “It definitely hurts.”

Cirque MonteCarlo’s situation is one example of how life has screeched to a halt as the coronavirus spreads, leaving many questioning where their next paycheck will come from. Now, the circus performers are looking for a place to go and wondering when they’ll get back to work.

A typical circus camp would be filled with excitement as the crew prepares the tent and performers ready their costumes.

This camp is quiet.

A few people mingle in a cafeteria trailer while a handful practice in the shade, but mostly folks stick to their trailers. To reduce the risk of exposing the troupe to the virus, only one or two people leave the camp for food or other supplies, so most of the troupe has not been outside the campsite in weeks.

At night the group gathers for board games, puzzles, bingo or movies, Cavallini said. Sometimes they play soccer or volleyball. For a group of extroverts, games and practicing are no substitute for a live crowd.

‘His kindness blew me away.’ Samaritan loans car to nurse treating coronavirus patients.

Kyrie Anderson cried Friday morning almost all the way to work at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center-Fort Worth.

After all, the nurse was in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, caring for North Texas doctors, nurses and staff members who had contracted COVID-19. In recent weeks, she often has worked 15- to 16-hour shifts and some weeks she has had one day off.

And Friday morning, her car wouldn’t start because of a dead battery.

But the 31-year-old nurse wasn’t crying because of all that; she was in tears over the kindness of a good Samaritan, an Irving apartment neighbor who she had never met at her complex.

Anderson sobbed as she drove a car loaned to her by a stranger and his family, who once they found out she was a nurse, wanted to help her.

“He told me just before I left that morning, he had one rule, ‘Don’t wreck it,’” Anderson said Sunday as she prepared for another shift at the Fort Worth hospital. “It is still good to know there are still kind and generous people out there.”

Fort Worth-area church volunteers don gloves, masks to hand out tons of food at Easter

A line of cars stretched for an estimated two miles from the driveway of OpenDoor Church in Burleson early Sunday as people waited in line to get free food for Easter.

The church handed out 65 tons of food to anybody who came for it, spokeswoman Kyp Shillam said, enough for 2,000 carloads.

It’s become a common sight since the coronavirus outbreak reached Texas. The food bank ministry at OpenDoor Church has been operating for 30 years, and it often splits its time between Joshua and Walnut Springs.

Since the virus’ arrival in DFW, though, the more than 100 volunteers moved their operation to their campus in Burleson.

The global outbreak of coronavirus has led to economic troubles for many Americans, and Shillam said that adds necessity to the church’s mission.

The church handed out crates full of fresh meats, bananas, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, Hostess donuts, refried beans, fried pork rinds, bread, milk, Minute Maid fruit drinks, water and other fresh produce.

The food came primarily from partners of the food bank like Operation Blessing, the North Texas Food Bank, Walmart, HEB and local grocers. Church members’ tithes and offerings also go to provide food.

Lockheed Martin employee dies after likely coronavirus exposure, company says

A longtime Lockheed Martin third-shift employee has died, likely related to COVID-19, according to officials.

Spokesman Ken Ross said the company does not have any confirmation or details from the employee’s family or medical authorities regarding the cause of death.

However, according to information from the company, Claude Daniels left the facility on March 31. He told his supervisor that he had been in contact with someone who had become COVID-19 positive. That person was not a Lockheed employee, according to a source. Daniels began to self-quarantine.

On April 5, Daniels called a Lockheed supervisor and said he was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

“Our Lockheed Martin team is saddened to learn of his passing,” Ross said. “Our hearts are heavy with the loss of a devoted colleague, and our thoughts are with those who knew and loved him.”

According to a Facebook group for Lockheed Martin employees, Daniels was a material handler and his wife worked at Lockheed for more than 30 years.

Coworkers on social media said Daniels was a kind man with a strong sense of humor.

Why Tarrant County’s low coronavirus case total Sunday could mean another rough week

Tarrant County reported just 22 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the lowest total in a week.

The low total, however, is likely the combination of it being Sunday and the Easter holiday. Some labs, it has been reported, don’t file updates on Sundays.

After reporting just 15 new cases on April 5, the county followed with its highest-case days of the pandemic — 83, 73, 77 and 53 cases reported Monday through Thursday of last week.

The county has reported a total of 806 COVID-19 cases, including 90 recoveries and 25 deaths. Fort Worth has been the hardest hit in the county with 310 cases (34 recoveries) and 12 deaths. Arlington has 130 cases with 16 recoveries and three deaths.

Dallas County has 4 more coronavirus deaths; Judge Clay Jenkins offers holiday message

Dallas County reported four more coronavirus-related deaths and 79 new cases Sunday.

There have been 31 pandemic-related deaths and 1,723 cases in the county.

The four latest deceased patients had been critically ill in area hospitals, including three who were residents of long-term care facilities. They include a Garland woman in her 60s, a Richardson man in his 90s, a Dallas man in his 80s and a Dallas man in his 60s.

“Our hearts go out to all who are suffering during this Passover, Easter and as many look forward to Ramadan. This year, these holidays are experienced differently but that doesn’t mean they need be less special,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a release.

“All suffering has a beginning, a middle and an end. Don’t get overwhelmed by the middle. Make good choices. Follow #SaferAtHome and together we will #FlattenTheCurve and save lives. May you and yours have a very meaningful Passover, Easter or Ramadan.”

McKinney man, 84, with underlying conditions dies two days after coronavirus diagnosis

Collin County reported an eighth coronavirus-related death and 12 new cases on Sunday.

An 84-year-old McKinney man died at home Saturday night. He had underlying health conditions before being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday.

“We are sad to learn of the death of another member of our Collin County community today. All of us grieve together with his family during this difficult time,” Judge Chris Hill said in a release.

The county has confirmed 453 cases, including 254 recoveries and eight deaths. There have been four coronavirus deaths in McKinney and one each in Anna, Plano, Dallas and Frisco.

Denton County reports fewest new coronavirus cases in weeks on Easter Sunday

Denton County confirmed eight new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a single-day low since reporting six cases on March 23.

It has been reported in other counties that not all labs submit results on Sunday. Four days after reporting six pandemic cases, Denton County spiked with 54 new cases on March 27, its highest, single-day total.

On the four Sundays since the county started reporting daily cases, six cases were reported on March 22, 17 cases on March 29, 16 cases on April 5 and eight cases on Easter. Since March 22, four of the eight days with the fewest new cases reported have been a Sunday.

The county has confirmed 482 COVID-19 cases, including 131 recoveries and 13 deaths.

Exchange Club donates $8,000 as Goodfellow Fund works to feed children during coronavirus

The Goodfellow Fund has raised $36,000 to help feed Fort Worth area children during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Exchange Club in Fort Worth has donated $8,000. Scott Kleberg, president of the Exchange Club, said the idea came from longtime member Breck Ray after he read about the effort in the Star-Telegram.

The donation came from a fund usually used for a spring outing, such as a picnic or backyard party, which was canceled because of the novel coronavirus.

“We asked our members about canceling the spring outing and using that money to send to the Goodfellow Fund and they were thrilled about the idea,” Kleberg said.

The Goodfellow Fund switched its focus for the first time in its more than 100 years from providing clothes at Christmas to collecting checks for food.

How to help: Send donations to Goodfellows, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Or visit goodfellowfundfw.com to make a secure credit card donation.

Texas clinics ask U.S. Supreme Court to block Gov. Abbott’s coronavirus abortion ban

Several Texas abortion providers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take emergency action against Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that blocks most abortion services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Providers represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Lawyering Project and Planned Parenthood Federation of America requested SCOTUS take emergency action to restore medication abortion services in Texas on Saturday.

Medication abortions are allowed during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. A woman takes one pill at a clinic and a second pill 24 to 48 hours later, usually at home. The clinics argue these type of abortions do not require personal protective equipment like masks, gloves and gowns that might be needed for coronavirus patients.

The request is the latest move in a legal battle that erupted after Abbott signed an executive order that banned abortions that were not considered medically necessary. The executive order prohibited other unnecessary medical procedures as a method to increase hospital capacity to combat the spread of coronavirus.

After Abbott announced the executive order, Texas abortion clinics sued the governor, claiming Abbott was using the coronavirus to fulfill a political agenda. On March 30, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocked Abbott’s order. That was overturned by a 5th Circuit Appeals Court on April 7.

On Thursday, a federal district court granted a second temporary restraining order against Abbott’s order. On Friday, the appeals court again overturned that restraining order.

Why a return to sports from coronavirus could be farther off than we realize

Dennis Perrotta, a retired state epidemiologist, went to the Spurs-Mavericks game on March 10 in San Antonio. He’s had partial season tickets for about the last 10 years and makes a 200-mile round trip from his ranch in Bastrop County to the AT&T Center every few weeks.

That night the sports fan in Perrotta was having a good time: The Spurs beat the favored Mavs, a high note in a lackluster season. But the public health expert in Perrotta was starting to worry. He was inches away from other fans who were touching each other while yelling and cheering. “When I came home,” Perrotta said, “I talked to my wife and said, ‘I’m not really comfortable going to the games anymore.’”

The NBA postponed its season the next night. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic has shut down the sporting world. The last major athletic event held in Fort Worth was a TCU men’s basketball game against Oklahoma on March 7. Globe Life Field’s scheduled Opening Day, for March 31, has come and gone. The PGA has not postponed the Colonial, but the Masters, which was supposed to end on Easter Sunday, was moved to November. Texas Motor Speedway won’t host its IndyCar race in June if fans can’t come.

Yet as the cancellations continue and coronavirus deaths multiply, calls to resume sports have hastened. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy suggested players should return to campus May 1 because they would “have the ability to fight this virus off.” Major League Baseball leaders have proposed hosting all 162 games in Arizona with the players isolated at hotels. President Donald Trump predicted on a conference call with professional sports commissioners the NFL would begin on time in September. He said in a White House briefing, “I want fans back in the arenas.”

Without sports, salaries, TV contracts and ticket revenues worth billions of dollars could disappear. But bringing back sports too soon risks the health of athletes, coaches, referees, athletic trainers, security guards and concession stand workers, not to mention tens of thousands of fans — who, as Perrotta realized in San Antonio, literally bump elbows inside America’s stadiums — and the thousands of others they come into contact with when the game ends.

The tug of war between caution and a willingness to quickly return to normal has pitted some sports leaders against each other and against public health officials. Experts insist sports — at least in the way we’ve known them — are unlikely to come back soon, even in time for football season. “My crystal ball, which is not infallible, says we’re not going to be there in the fall,” said Catherine Troisi, PhD, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UT Health School of Public Health in Houston.

Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival goes virtual to preview main event

The coronavirus crisis isn’t stopping Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival organizers from giving people a sneak peek of the fun that awaits them when the festival is tentatively scheduled to return to downtown Fort Worth in September.

Starting Monday, people can go to the festival’s social media platforms to view over 200 artists and their works and other items related to the festival.

The virtual preview is April 13-19. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives Inc. is organizing the virtual tour.

The virtual festival features exclusive artwork images, behind-the-scenes studio tours, interactive art tutorials, Facebook Live takeovers from various entertainers, favorite restaurant recipes and more.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates April 13: Here’s what to know in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."