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.

As ‘retail-to-go’ starts in Texas, Fort Worth closed this store that declared itself essential

On Friday, the first day of “retail-to-go” in Texas, workers at Tuesday Morning stores reopened their doors. Then the city promptly shut down multiple locations.

The company in a statement declared it is an essential business, which has the ability to stay open during stay-at-home amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, because the stores sell food, pet supplies and other essential home goods.

By Friday evening however, the city closed at least three Tuesday Morning stores for violating the stay-at-home order, which does not allow in-store sales or gatherings, according to emails from the city’s code compliance department.

City code enforcement officers closed the Hulen location around noon Friday as well as a store off U.S. 287 and Interstate 35. Code officers also ordered a Camp Bowie store to close Friday afternoon and would confirm in the morning that it remained closed.

The company said it sells human and pet food, but because the bulk of the store’s sales are not food, the city determined Tuesday Morning was not an essential business, according to the emails.

The city has allowed curbside pick-up for retail since the outbreak first began, city health officer Brandon Bennett said.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley has said businesses should “use common sense” to determine if they are essential and should be open.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that “retail-to-go” — one of the first steps toward reopening Texas to business — would begin Friday.

And he plans to announce the next steps to further reopen businesses across the state on Monday. He hinted during a radio interview on Friday that there may be a regional approach to reopening depending on the spread of COVID-19 in communities.

Texas launches interactive map to help find coronavirus testing sites near you

Texans looking to be tested for the novel coronavirus can now find sites near them on a statewide interactive map launched Friday.

Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled the map Friday afternoon, that is being overseen by the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Texas Department of State Health Services. Users can search for sites based on their location, and the map displays both public, private and drive-through sites, in addition to details such as what types of tests are offered, whether a doctor’s referral is needed and more.

The map can be found by clicking one of the links above or at: www.texas.gov/#covid19

Currently, over 340 sites are listed, according to a news release, and the two state agencies will verify and add additional locations that are submitted through an online form.

These Fort Worth companies are hiring despite the coronavirus — or even because of it

An Arlington firm needs a mechanical engineer, and is offering a salary of up to $140,000 a year.

A north Fort Worth packaging company has an opening for an entry-level, order-fulfillment position for $12 an hour, with no other benefits.

Even though unemployment is at crazy-high levels across Texas and the United States, lots of companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are hiring workers for all kinds of vocations. The positions offer a range of salaries, benefits and work-from-home options.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week encouraged residents to check out workintexas.com for details on an estimated 500,000 job openings in the state. He suggested that new plans to gradually re-open the Texas economy were on the way.

But Texas’ climb out of the current downturn is sure to be uphill, with not only the coronavirus but also the collapse of the oil industry sapping revenues.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, an estimated 282,520 “job-years” are expected to be lost to COVID-19, according to Waco-based economist Ray Perryman. (A job-year is the equivalent of one person working for a year.)

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.

Fifty-eight of those cases are at AdventHealth Care Center Burleson, where 34 residents and 24 staff members tested positive, WFAA reported.

Officials at AdventHealth said those residents are being housed in a separate isolation unit and monitored closely.

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.

Collin County offices reopening May 1 despite 2 more coronavirus deaths, 30 new cases

Two more residents of a McKinney nursing home have died from the coronavirus, bringing the total to nine of the 16 reported pandemic deaths in Collin County.

The nine deaths at the privately-owned Oxford Grand Assisted Living and Memory Care have been between the ages of 80 and 95, according to KXAS.

An 85-year-old resident died at the facility on Thursday evening and a 95-year-old woman died early Friday morning, according to health officials.

“Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with these ladies’ families and friends,” Collin County Judge Chris Hill said in a release. “All of us at Collin County are saddened at the report of these COVID-19 deaths within our community.”

The county reported 30 new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

Collin County has confirmed 639 pandemic-related cases, including 446 recoveries and 16 deaths. Among the 177 active patients, 24 are hospitalized.

Neighboring Denton County reported 19 new cases on Friday, for a total of 680 cases, including 328 patient recoveries and 19 deaths.

Judge Hill announced on Friday that county offices will reopen for unscheduled in-person visits on May 1.

“Even after May 1, we will continue to take extra precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to keep you, your families, and our employees safe and healthy,” Hill said in a release.

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.

Need a free ride to work? Trinity Metro extends coronavirus free fares

Trinity Metro will continue free bus fare through May 15, including for TEXRail and paratransit riders.

Not requiring riders to pay fare minimizes the amount of contact between drivers and the public, the transit service said.

Fort Worth bus service will continue to operate on a modified Sunday schedule seven days a week. Express routes 63X/64X and 65X are operating on their regular schedules. Some routes have been suspended, including the downtown Lunch Line, 71-Forest Hill and the 991-Jurur Shuttle. Molly the Trolley, the free downtown circulator, won’t operate until May 31.

TEXRail has no service on Sundays. Check Trinity Metro’s website for the latest information

To maintain social distancing, Trinity Metro is asking riders to sit in every other row and only in the window seat on the train. On buses, passengers should board and exit through the rear doors. Seating has been reduced by 35% to encourage distancing.

At least one bus driver has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Southlake-based Sabre furloughing one-third of its workers amid coronavirus pandemic

Southlake-based Sabre Corp. has announced that it will furlough one-third of its worldwide workforce as the travel company battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Sabre has about 9,250 employees worldwide, with about 25% of those in North Texas., according to the Dallas Morning News. The company did not provide further details on how it would implement the furloughs.

Company officials said in a statement that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the travel industry. Weekly travel spending in the U.S. has fallen 85% from the same point a year ago, according to figures prepared for U.S. Travel Association by the analytics firm Tourism Economics.

In March, the company reduced pay, curtailed spending and temporarily suspended 401(K) matches for employees in the United States.

“However, with no clear indication of when travel may resume, we are forced to make the difficult decision to take the next step,” according to the company statement.

Sabre officials did not release any information on how long the furloughs might last.

American Airlines faces a class action lawsuit on coronavirus canceled flight refunds

American Airlines faces a class action lawsuit over its refund policies for flights canceled because of the coronavirus.

Lee Ward, an Arizona resident, alleges he bought round trip tickets to Lima, Peru on two occasions, and that portions of those trips were canceled because of the pandemic, but he was denied refunds. The lawsuit was filed this week in Fort Worth federal court.

The lawsuit noted that American and other airlines are receiving up to $58 billion in federal stimulus, to preserve jobs during the economic shutdown caused by the virus.

“But, despite the faucet of taxpayer money that will flow its way, American refuses to comply with the law or operate in the interest of its customers,” the lawsuit alleges.

Burleson educators take part in neighborhood parade to see students and families

The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools for over a month and Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered that schools will remain stay closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

Kids are missing their teachers and friends, and teachers are missing their kids.

Burleson ISD’s Clinkscale Elementary wanted to celebrate its students with the Clinkscale Crusade Parade on Thursday as principals, teachers, past students and school mascot “Jacket Junior” took part in a parade through the school neighborhoods to see students and families.

“Our hearts need to see our kids more than ever. They have been working extremely hard and we are proud of their efforts on a daily basis,” principal Lauri Allen said.

Students waited in their driveways, holding up signs as cars drove by.

“We had no idea the response we would receive. To say last night was amazing is an understatement. Families lined the streets to see their teachers, holding signs with amazing words of encouragement, love and sentiments that I know we all needed,” said assistant principal Kim Cassidy.

Bud Kennedy to the Basement Bar, PR’s, lake partiers and Colleyville: Calm down, y’all. And help

Folks, calm down.

We’re having a pandemic.

I know you want to throw a lake party, or go honky-tonking in the Stockyards, or get a tattoo saying “Colleyville Forever.”

But we’re in a crisis. Folks are sick. Or out of work.

Try to lay low. Don’t make it worse.

This means you, Basement Bar, PR’s Saloon and other Fort Worth Stockyards bars, and your Facebook post saying you’re opening May 1 to “stand up for freedoms. It is our right.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 5:13 AM.