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 records 2nd consecutive single-day high new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths

Tarrant County reported three more coronavirus deaths Friday and 147 new cases — a single-day high for the second consecutive day.

The county has reported 48 COVID-19 deaths and 1,706 cases, including 129 reported on Thursday.

The three latest deaths included two men in their 60s and one man in his 80s. All three were residents of Fort Worth, which has confirmed 28 coronavirus-related deaths.

The county has reported 282 patient recoveries.

Of the total confirmed cases, 185, including four deaths, have been reported at 22 long-term care facilities throughout the county, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.

41 Tarrant County inmates test positive for coronavirus as jail populations drop

The number of inmates in the Tarrant County Jail have dropped to historic lows, while the number of inmates who have tested positive for the coronavirus has grown dramatically.

According to Tarant County officials, 41 inmates and four staff members in the Tarrant County Jail’s three facilities have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday. As of Thursday, the number of inmates in the jails had been reduced to 3,312, a Facebook post from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office said.

Typically, the county jail houses about 4,000 inmates.

According to a report from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, 49 jailers were isolated pending test results and two inmates were being treated offsite, or outside of the jail, as of Thursday. There were 42 jail inmates being quarantined as of Thursday, according to the state report.

Near the end of March, when Tarrant County’s effort to reduce the jail population was gaining traction, the inmate count was 3,552, the lowest it had been in two years, according to Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department officials. No inmates or jail staff had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, in late March, according to JPS officials.

Dallas County records 5 more coronavirus deaths, but new cases continue to drop

Dallas County reported five more coronavirus deaths and 71 new cases on Friday, down for the fourth day in a row.

There have been 77 COVID-19-related deaths in the county. The latest include four residents of Dallas long-term care facilities and one Garland man in his 70s. The four deceased Dallas residents included a man and woman in their 80s and two women in their 90s. All had been critically ill at area hospitals.

Dallas County has confirmed 2,834 COVID-19 cases. The county is not reporting recovered patient totals.

New cases reported decreased for the fourth consecutive day, including 90 on Tuesday, 81 on Wednesday and 80 on Thursday.

Of the 77 pandemic-related deaths, almost 40% have been residents of long-term care facilities. Eighty percent of those who died had underlying health conditions.

Texas approved for HUD waivers to help tenants affected by coronavirus with housing costs

Texans experiencing challenges covering housing-related costs may soon be able to receive additional help.

Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs announced Friday that the state has been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to distribute up to $11.3 million in HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance funds. Earlier this month, the state requested greater flexibility to allow the funds to help more Texans pay their rent.

In the coming weeks, local providers will be distributing funds to Texans who qualify for aid and are experiencing difficulties paying rent, utilities or security deposits due to a loss of income because of the pandemic. Individuals needing assistance should visit the Help for Texans website to search for local providers in their area, according to a news release.

“Thanks to these waivers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Texas will be able to provide much-needed financial relief to Texans struggling with housing due to challenges posed by COVID-19,” Abbott said in a statement.

Fort Worth amends coronavirus order to allow in-person worship service

Houses of worship may again hold in-person services in Fort Worth, though it is strongly discouraged.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said Thursday that she would issue a new order bringing the city’s emergency coronavirus declaration in line with Gov. Greg Abbott’s Texas-wide edict, effective at midnight Friday. Though Price said more information about the order would be available Friday, ahead of the weekend, Fort Worth’s disaster declaration was updated Thursday, stripping language that banned in-person worship.

Despite allowing in-person service, the order “strongly recommends” worship continue remotely.

For weeks the city had banned services as part of a larger effort to curb the novel coronavirus. Since Fort Worth continues to have substantial community spread of the dangerous virus, gatherings of any kind have been banned through April 30.

Earlier this week, however, Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued updated guidance on statewide orders that clarified that local governments “may not prohibit people from providing or obtaining those religious services.”

“Local government may not close houses of worship,” the order said.

Fort Worth preschool closes for deep cleaning after child tests positive for coronavirus

A child at the Primrose School of Fort Worth West at 3777 Westridge Ave. tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week.

School officials say they reported the case to the Tarrant County Health Department and notified parents of all the children.

“The safety and well-being of children in our care and our staff is always our priority,” according to a statement from franchise owners Glenn Hadsall and Christi Brownlow. “We are cooperating fully with the health department and following CDC guidelines.”

The school will be closed through April 26.

During that time, “extensive, third-party deep cleaning” and daily sanitation procedures at the school will occur.

Inmates testing positive for the coronavirus skyrocket at Fort Worth federal prison

The number of inmates who tested positive for the coronavirus at Fort Worth Federal Medical Center increased by nearly 275% since Tuesday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.

Fort Worth FMC houses more than 1,500 male inmates, many with special medical and mental health needs. On Tuesday, federal officials reported that 35 inmates and one staff member had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, and on Wednesday it was reported that one of those inmates had died.

By Thursday, the number of inmates who had tested positive had grown to 131, up from the 56 inmates who had the disease on Wednesday, according to the federal website.

Fort Worth FMC has the largest number of inmates to test positive in the United States federal prison system, according to government figures. One inmate at Fort Worth FMC has died due to the coronavirus, and one staff member has tested positive, according to the federal website.

Arnoldo Almeida, 61, who went into respiratory distress at FMC Fort Worth on April 16, died Wednesday, according to federal officials.

This is the same federal prison holding Joe Maldonado-Passage, more commonly known as Joe Exotic.

Maldonado-Passage is the focus of the Netflix documentary series “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which has exploded in popularity since its March 20 release. The 57-year-old former zoo owner is being held at the Fort Worth Federal Medical Center, according to inmate records.

Maldonado-Passage’s husband, Dillon Passage, said he is in COVID-19 quarantine at the Fort Worth prison because the previous prison he was at reported coronavirus cases, according to an interview Passage did with Variety Live.

Several Fort Worth bars plan to reopen on May 1 despite coronavirus pandemic

Several bars in the Fort Worth Stockyards plan to reopen on May 1, including one which said it may do so regardless of coronavirus shutdown orders.

The Basement Bar announced on Facebook on Tuesday that it planned on opening, saying it had “played the game long enough.” The Facebook post created a stir on social media with thousands of people commenting either their support or opposition to the reopening. The owner of the bar, Johnny Cooper, referred the Star-Telegram’s questions to PR spokesman Fred Barnett.

Thirsty Armadillo, Stampede Saloon and Pearl’s Dance Hall also plan to open their doors to the public on May 1, said Barnett, who is also the spokesman for those bars.

Tarrant County’s stay-at-home order currently does not allow bars to operate, except for to-go or curbside service. Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide declaration also shutters non-essential businesses, although Abbott said he would announce new guidelines on April 27 for businesses.

Brandon Bennett, director of Fort Worth Code Compliance, said businesses cannot reopen until they have permission, and officials are “ready, willing and able” to enforce the provisions of the shutdown.

Barnett said for the Basement Bar, which calls itself “The World’s Smallest Honky-Tonk,” they plan on limiting capacity to 25 to 50 people and trying to keep everyone at a 6-foot distance from each other.

Barnett said the bar also is considering giving people face masks, taking temperatures at the door and installing ultraviolet lights in the bar.

The idea that ultraviolet light might kill coronavirus has been debated in the scientific community, but the World Health Organization has warned people that UV lamps should not be used to try and fight the coronavirus.

A Fort Worth suburb is seeing a significant budget shortfall, meaning salary cuts

North Richland Hills officials announced that the city is facing a significant budget shortfall and said pay cuts are coming because of the coronavirus pandemic.

City manager Mark Hindman said they expect an estimated shortfall of almost $1.5 million.

“We estimate a drop of around $800,000 or roughly 8% in our sales taxes versus our budget. We were running ahead of budget estimates before March or this number would be even higher. The total estimated shortfall in revenue is approximately $1,450,000,” Hindman said in an email.

Starting next month, city operations, except for emergency services, will be closed May 1, May 8 and May 15, and employees will not be paid on those days, according to the city’s statement. Sales tax revenue makes up around 20 percent of the annual budget, and revenue from permits and fees is also down over what was anticipated in March and April.

Fort Worth-area high schools plan alternate graduation dates amid coronavirus shutdown

Now that the coronavirus shutdown has closed school campuses across the state for the remainder of the academic year, local school districts are discussing alternate arrangements for upcoming high school graduations. Even though some businesses may be re-opening in the days and weeks ahead, it would be nearly impossible to have a traditional ceremony at a time when there are still likely to be concerns over social distancing.

Most school districts have added alternate dates, in the event that their original high school graduation plan cannot occur. So far, two Tarrant County districts — Grapevine-Colleyville and Keller — have formally picked new dates over the summer. This list will be updated as new information becomes available.

Texas craft breweries may fizzle as coronavirus shuts off the taps

In a world where the novel coronavirus didn’t exist, dozens of beer fans would have wandered into HopFusion Ale Works on a warm April afternoon. By 8 p.m. the taproom would be filling up for weekly karaoke, setting the mood for a hopping spring weekend in the Near Southside.

Not this week. Instead, co-owner Macy Moore sat alone in the deserted taproom while a few employees canned beer in the back.

“This is our hottest time for the entire year. We’d be packed out every night of the week, especially with this great patio weather we’ve been having, but not now,” Moore said. “This is like a whole other universe.”

For a decade, craft beer drinkers have enjoyed a constantly expanding variety of locally made brews, but the scene — and dozens of Texas small businesses — could be in jeopardy if the novel coronavirus outbreak continues.

Texas craft brewers on average have reported a more than 70% drop in revenue since the beginning of March, according to the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. More than 60% of the state’s craft brewers have furloughed or laid off staff, according to the guild’s survey, and 14% have temporarily closed. Nationally, six out of 10 breweries say the coronavirus-spurred recession could drive them out of business, according to a Brewers Association survey.

To give Texas breweries a boost, the guild is encouraging shoppers to pick up craft beer this weekend through a social media campaign dubbed #GreatTexasBeerRun. Breweries have shifted to to-go orders from taprooms and must rely on grocery and liquor store sales — but those sales typically make up a fraction of the industry’s revenue.

Tarrant County reports single-day high in coronavirus cases Thursday, plus 45th death

arrant County reported a single-day high 129 new coronavirus cases and its 45th pandemic-related death on Thursday.

Earlier this week, county health officials cautioned there was a temporary lag in lab results being reported, so Thursday’s report likely includes some test results that had been delayed.

The deceased was an Azle man in his 60s who had underlying health conditions. He’s the first reported COVID-19 death in Azle.

The county has reported 1,559 COVID-19 cases, including 265 recoveries and 45 deaths.

Despite 7 more coronavirus deaths, 80 new cases, Dallas County says order is working

Dallas County confirmed seven more coronavirus deaths and 80 new cases on Thursday.

The county has reported 72 COVID-19-related deaths and 2,763 cases. The county is not reporting recovered patient totals.

Of the seven new deaths, six were residents of Dallas and one was a resident of Richardson. Six had been hospitalized and one died at home. The deceased included two in their 60s, one in their 70s, two in their 80s, and two in their 90s.

“We mourn the death of seven more residents from COVID-19. This is a somber reminder of the ruthlessness of this pandemic,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a release. “I am encouraged by the number of new cases, which is once again lower than the average daily number for last week.”

Jenkins says the decrease in new coronavirus cases is a result of the county’s strict stay-at-home order. Tarrant County reported a single-day high 129 new cases on Thursday.

“That’s been the pattern for every day this week. We are benefiting from #SaferAtHome and we all need to keep making good personal responsibility choices,” Jenkins said. “#IfYouRushItYouRuinIt and we shouldn’t waste the sacrifices you and the community have made to get us to this point.

Curve flattening? Denton County reports single-day high for coronavirus recoveries.

Denton County reported 17 new coronavirus cases and a single-day high of 56 recovered patients Thursday.

The county has confirmed 661 COVID-19 cases, including 19 deaths and 306 recoveries.

No new cases were reported at the Denton State Supported Living Center, where 54 residents and 60 employees have contracted the coronavirus.

An 18th resident of a long-term care facility in the county was reported.

Among Collin County’s coronavirus cases, most younger than 60, including 116 under 30

Collin County reported 25 new coronavirus cases Thursday for a total of 609, including 429 recoveries and 14 deaths.

Of the 166 active pandemic cases, 16 patients are hospitalized and 150 remain in home isolation.

The county reports 4,765 negative COVID-19 tests and is monitoring 906 people for symptoms.

Among the total cases, 127 patients are in their 50s, 120 are in their 40s, 111 are in their 30s, 92 are in their 20s, 90 are in their 60s, 21 are in their 70s, 17 are in their 80s and 15 are between 10 and 19. Nine patients are 9 or younger, six are in their 90s and one age is unknown.

Tarrant County just got $210 million for coronavirus. Here’s how it might help you

Having problems paying your rent or utilities because of the coronavirus pandemic?

Help may soon be on the way.

Tarrant County has received $210 million from the federal government to help cover costs related to COVID-19. And officials are waiting to see what additional money might be coming from the state through the Coronavirus Relief Fund included in the federal “CARES Act.”

If more funding comes from the state, many of the federal money received this week may be used to help food banks, small businesses, and residents with rent or utility assistance, in addition to helping pay for some of the COVID-19 tests, Tarrant County Judge Whitley said Thursday. The money must be spent before the end of the year.

“Tarrant County and the local governments in our county are facing a major public health and safety challenge at the same time we are facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis,” he wrote in a letter to the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seeking funding. “Simply put, demand and need for core local government services has increased significantly at the same time we are projecting unprecedented revenue loss.”

This money will “provide us with a life vest while we wait for a rescue ship,” Whitley wrote.

Tarrant County residents will have more options to be tested for coronavirus antibodies

Starting Saturday, Dallas-Fort Worth residents will have more options to be tested for coronavirus antibodies.

For weeks, Urgent Care for Kids, has been offering drive-through COVID-19 testing at its locations across the Metroplex — including two sites in Fort Worth and locations in Mansfield and Arlington. It has recently expanded its criteria to allow people who are asymptomatic to be screened and tested for COVID-19 as well, said Brian White, the company’s CEO.

And on Saturday, its locations will also offer screening for patients to have their blood drawn to be tested for coronavirus antibodies — which can indicate that a person has recovered from the virus, even if they weren’t exhibiting symptoms.

“It’s really, really good for public health data and information, and also on the individual level of just being able to see if you have those antibodies and then making life decisions based off of that,” White said.

The presence of antibodies is proof that someone’s immune system fought off a disease, but experts are still studying how long someone may be protected after recovering from the novel coronavirus.

Free coronavirus test sites open Friday in Fort Worth, Arlington. Here’s how to sign up

Beginning Friday, Tarrant County will offer free drive-through COVID-19 testing in Fort Worth and Arlington for those who meet testing criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control.

In Fort Worth, testing will be conducted at 8600 Camp Bowie West Blvd., where Walgreens pharmacists will oversee patients’ self-administration of a rapid COVID-19 test.

In both Fort Worth and Arlington, tests are by appointment only and people will stay in their cars for the testing. In Fort Worth, tests are available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week, and in Arlington they are available from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To schedule an appointment in Fort Worth, individuals must first visit Walgreens.com/coronavirus to complete an assessment to determine eligibility. In Arlington, they are asked to visit arlingtontx.gov/coronavirus.

Here’s where and when you can get a free coronavirus test in Johnson County

Johnson County Emergency Management and the Texas Department of State Health Services are providing free coronavirus testing Saturday at the Cleburne Senior Center.

Appointments must be made by phone and prospective patients must have at least one COVID-19 symptom, which includes but not limited to a sore throat, fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath or nasal congestion.

The testing will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. To set up an appointment, call 512-883-2400.

The free testing is sponsored by Johnson County Emergency Management, Department of State Health Services, and Texas Division of Emergency Management.

This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.