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.

Blue Angels fly over Fort Worth to thank those fighting the coronavirus pandemic

The Navy’s Blue Angels said thank you Wednesday morning.

As they flew in formation over cities stretching from McKinney to Fort Worth, they showed support for health care and other essential workers who are helping fight the coronavirus pandemic.

“We salute and thank all healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19,” the Blue Angels tweeted, adding the #AmericaStrong hashtag.

It took the aircraft — a formation of six F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft — about 30 minutes to fly over North Texas medical centers, beginning at 11 a.m. in McKinney before crossing over a number of North Texas cities and circling over downtown Dallas and Fort Worth.

After the flyovers in North Texas, the aircraft headed to Houston and New Orleans for similar tributes.

Free coronavirus testing sites opening in Fort Worth, Dallas in ‘underserved’ communities

Free drive-thru coronavirus testing sites in Fort Worth and Dallas are opening in a partnership with Kroger and both cities.

The Fort Worth site opens Thursday at J.P. Elder Middle School, at 600 Park St. The site will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Dallas site will open Saturday in the CitySquare parking lot at 1610 Malcolm X Blvd. It will be open from 8:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Monday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Kroger Health, which is the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., plans to perform over 1,000 tests weekly at each site.

“As we begin to take the first steps in easing restrictions and slowly re-opening, we must continue to increase our testing capacity so we can truly understand the impact this virus is having on our community,” Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said in a news release. “I am grateful for our continued partnership with Kroger … We must continue to protect ourselves against this virus, and testing is vital role in ultimately combating COVID-19.”

Residents must register online and go through a virtual screening tool to see if they meet the requirements for a test. If so, they’ll select a location and appointment time online at https://www.krogerhealth.com/covidtesting.

Texas state leaders defend Dallas salon owner jailed for violating coronavirus order

Texas’ top leaders urged a state district judge to reconsider the week-long jail sentence of a Dallas salon owner who reopened her business in the face of coronavirus-related restrictions on nonessential businesses.

In a Wednesday letter to state District Judge Eric Moyé, Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote that Shelley Luther, the owner of Salon à la Mode in Dallas, should be immediately released.

“The trial judge did not need to lock up Shelley Luther. His order is a shameful abuse of judicial discretion, which seems like another political stunt in Dallas,” Paxton said in a statement.

It was a point Gov. Greg Abbott echoed in a statement of his own shortly after, calling Moyé’s ruling “excessive.”

“As I have made clear through prior pronouncements, jailing Texans for non-compliance with executive orders should always be the last available option,” Abbott said in a statement Wednesday. “Compliance with executive orders during this pandemic is important to ensure public safety; however, surely there are less restrictive means to achieving that goal than jailing a Texas mother.”

Moyé’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Luther was sentenced Tuesday after she refused the judge’s offer to commit to not reopening until allowed to and to apologize for doing so. In addition to spending a week in jail for being found in contempt of court, Luther was also fined $7,000 for violating a temporary restraining order against reopening her business.

Texas will allow hair, tanning salons to reopen Friday amid coronavirus. Gyms are next

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday a wave of new businesses may soon reopen at a limited capacity, with barbershops and salons allowed to open by the end of this week and gyms later this month.

To help combat flare-ups of cases of the novel coronavirus as more businesses open their doors, Abbott also unveiled the formation of “surge response teams” that will be a collaboration between state agencies and local officials.

Abbott’s executive order permitting additional reopenings came sooner than anticipated — and just four days after the first phase of businesses, including malls and restaurants, were permitted to begin operating in-person at a limited capacity. Abbott had previously pointed to May 18 as the earliest possible date for a second phase of reopenings.

But since his announcement of the first phase, he has faced mounting pressure from some business owners and from conservative lawmakers who have defied his restrictions and called for more openings sooner rather than later.

Tuesday, Abbott pointed to essential services that have operated with social distancing guidelines in place since the start of the pandemic and said that until a vaccine is developed, “we must find a way to bridge that divide.”

“Those businesses were operational at a time while COVID-19 spread was being reduced. So we can open up business if we follow those same strategies those businesses were using, and that’s exactly what we need to do,” Abbott said during a press conference Tuesday from the Texas Capitol.

Fort Worth begins furloughing employees as coronavirus cuts into city budget

Fort Worth will begin furloughing dozens of employees as the city’s tourism revenue continues to collapse from the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The public events budget, which took in more than $43 million last year, is expected to be at $29 million by the end the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, a 32% drop. The decline is largely attributed to a reduction in hotel tax revenue, as Fort Worth hotel occupancy remains at or below 10%, Deputy City Manager Jay Chapa said. The fund also takes in money from convention center bookings and stall and parking fees at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

The hit means 79 employees who help run Will Rogers and the convention center will be furloughed through at least July 1, if not through the end of July. Mike Crum, the public works director, informed the employees Tuesday and the furloughs will begin May 16.

This is the first time Fort Worth has had to furlough employees because of the novel coronavirus outbreak. While the city must find $40 million in savings in the general fund as well, other furloughs are not expected, Chapa said.

Those employees will be able to apply for unemployment during that time and the city will continue to provide health care benefits. Chapa said the hope is the employees can return to work by August at the latest.

“We’ve tried to lessen the impact on our employees,” he said. “We want them to come back to work.”

Tarrant County reports 6 more coronavirus deaths, 62 new cases

Tarrant County reported six more coronavirus deaths and 62 new cases on Tuesday.

The deaths include four Fort Worth residents and female residents of Keller and Grapevine, both in their 80s. The Fort Worth residents include a man and a women in their 50s and two men in their 80s.

All six had underlying health conditions, according to health officials.

Tarrant County has confirmed 83 COVID-19 deaths and 2,686 cases, including 653 patient recoveries. Fort Worth residents make up 1,203 cases and 51 deaths in the county.

Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja reminded residents to maintain strict social distancing guidelines in a release

“These latest deaths are sad and troubling to all of us,” he said. “We are still in a pandemic and it’s important to continue to follow the public health guidelines.”

Dallas County reports record new coronavirus cases for 3rd consecutive day, 7 deaths

Dallas County reported a single-day high in new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day on Tuesday and seven more deaths.

The county confirmed 253 new COVID-19 patients, bringing its total to 4,623, including 121 deaths.

The seven latest deaths include three Dallas residents, two Irving residents and residents of Richardson and Mesquite. The ages included a man in his 40s, a man and women in their 50s, two men and a woman in their 60s, and a man in his 70s.

The Mesquite man died at a long-term care facility. A Dallas man in his 50s died in hospice care. An Irving woman in her 60s was found dead at home. The other four patients died at area hospitals. Of the 121 confirmed pandemic-related deaths, about 36% have been residents of long-term care facilities.

“Today we have a new record high number of cases as we have every day this week,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a news release. “We’ve also had seven more deaths. It’s so important that we all continue to follow science and avoid unnecessary groups, maintain six feet distance and wear your face coverings on public transportation and at businesses.”

After lull in new coronavirus cases, both Collin and Denton counties report mild spike

After several days of lower coronavirus case numbers, Collin and Denton counties both reported jumps in cases on Tuesday.

Collin County reported 24 new cases, while Denton County reported 26 new cases.

Both counties had reported lower numbers of new patients the past three days. Denton County reported 11, three and three new cases Saturday through Monday. Collin County reported 19, five and 15 new cases during the same stretch. Neither county has reported a COVID-19-related death since Friday.

Collin County has confirmed 828 pandemic cases, including 22 deaths and 549 recoveries. Denton County has confirmed 832 cases, including 22 deaths and 396 recoveries.

Blue Angels release Dallas-Fort Worth flight path to honor coronavirus first responders

The Navy’s Blue Angels have released the flight path of Wednesday’s 35-minute flyover to honor COVID-19 first responders. The flyover begins at 11 a.m. in McKinney. The planes will circle downtown Dallas and Fort Worth.

Residents are urged to watch the flyover from their homes and observe safe social distancing.

Celebrate mom from a distance, officials say, as coronavirus cases rise in Fort Worth

Sunday is a day to honor your mother, but Tarrant County’s top health official isn’t sure if that’s a celebration that should be done in person.

As the number of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise in Tarrant County, the safest way to tell your mom you love her on Mother’s Day may be over the phone.

“I know it’s a hard thing, but the situation hasn’t gotten to the point where we should make unnecessary visits,” said Vinny Taneja, Tarrant County’s public health director. “I know that sounds harsh.

“Visiting mom is very important. But let’s try to leverage technology to do that. Try to stay home as much as you can, make sure you are using technology to visit mom and send her some love.”

Taneja’s comments came Tuesday, after County Commissioners learned that coronavirus cases are on the rise in Tarrant County, with 2,686 cases that include 83 deaths and 653 recoveries.

Taneja noted that the curve of COVID-19 cases did seem to flatten for the first five or six weeks, but recently the number of cases has been rising.

“It’s a little worrisome because we saw an uptick in cases instead of staying flat,” Taneja said, adding that there also are more people in the hospital sick with coronavirus.

These are the 72 Texas counties allowed to reopen businesses up to 50% capacity

There are 72 Texas counties allowed to reopen businesses up to 50% capacity per Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide order. The reopening began on Friday when the governor’s pandemic stay-at-home order expired.

There are 254 counties in Texas. The 72 counties that qualify are in rural areas, especially in the sparsely populated western counties. The closest such county to Fort Worth is Wise County, which includes Bridgeport, Decatur, Boyd, Rhome and Chico. Jack County, which includes Jacksboro and is directly west of Wise County, is also reopened to 50% capacity. Erath County, which includes Stephenville, is also allowed to reopen.

Besides having no more than five active COVID-19 cases, counties reopening at 50% must also meet multiple other requirements, including making tests available, providing public notices of the common COVID-19 symptoms, and providing CDC guidelines on pandemic protocols.

All other Texas counties can reopen businesses at 25% capacity.

The state is reporting more than 33,000 COVID-19 cases and 906 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon.

Here are the 72 Texas counties allowed to open businesses to 50% capacity as of Tuesday morning.

Fort Worth-area residents hesitant to call 911 for fear of coronavirus at hospitals

Many Fort Worth-area residents are scared of calling 911, and it’s continuing to kill them, area healthcare leaders and MedStar officials said Tuesday.

And the reason is that residents fear contracting the coronavirus at hospitals, according to MedStar officials.

At the end of April, of the patients found to be in cardiac arrest, the number pronounced dead on scene by MedStar crews was up 164 percent compared to April 2019, according to MedStar statistics. That number was 50 in April 2019 compared with 132 in April 2020. Officials believe that’s because people with cardiac symptoms are waiting too long to call 911.

“We are quite concerned that locally and nationwide people are afraid, in some cases, to call 9-1--1,” said Stephen Love, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council in a Tuesday news release. “We are experiencing adverse patient outcomes by the patient not calling 9-1-1 or delaying the call.”

With fewer people calling 911, MedStar officials say their response volume is down 19 percent from January and ambulance transports to hospitals are down 28 percent.

A Fort Worth suburb cancels popular July 4th festivities, summer programs

Mayor Henry Wilson was looking forward to taking his grandson swimming this summer at the Hurst Central Aquatics Center and was also anticipating going to the popular Stars & Stripes festival on July 4 which draws thousands of visitors.

But those activities aren’t taking place this year, officials said.

The economic fallout and the uncertainty of what the testing and number of cases will look like from COVID-19 brought big changes to cities’ finances with furloughs, layoffs and hard decisions about cutting back on services.

“This is the worst financial situation that I’ve seen since I started serving on the council 35 years ago,” Wilson said.

City manager Clay Caruthers said in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that in March the city started making changes that included a hiring freeze.

Last week, officials decided to cancel the Stars & Stripes July 4th celebration that draws 35,000 people to Hurst and to close the aquatics center because of financial and safety concerns.

Wilson said there is uncertainty as to whether Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will allow pools to open, and said the city couldn’t justify the safety and financial risks.

The Star-Telegram is working to help you navigate the pandemic. You can help us, too.

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‘Feeding my kids isn’t selfish.’ Dallas salon owner speaks out about her arrest

A defiant Dallas salon owner was sentenced to a week in jail after a judge ruled her in contempt of court for refusing to close her business as the coronavirus pandemic surged, according to media reports.

Shelly Luther was also fined $7,000 by state district Judge Eric Moyé, according to CBSDFW.com.

Luther, who owns Salon à la Mode, refused to close her business, despite receiving cease and desist letters from Dallas County and getting hit with a temporary restraining order, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Her “non-essential” business had been forced to close in late March under county and state stay-at-home orders, but she defied those order when she reopened on April 24, going as far to tear up up a cease-and-desist letter from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, according to Dallas Morning News.

Some Texas businesses were allowed to open late last week under Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening plan, but salons were not included. Still, she kept her salon open, sometimes with armed supporters outside, McClatchy News reported.

During the court hearing, Moyé informed Luther that he would consider not giving her jail time if she had admitted she was in the wrong when reopening her salon, that she was selfish for doing so, and that she should apologize to the elected officials whose orders she deliberately violated.

Luther refused.

North Texas pastor hospitalized with coronavirus doesn’t regret his ‘religious activism’

From his upper-level hospital room in Denton, Jeff Hood could see people mill about at the Rayzor Ranch shopping center, swinging shopping bags or eating on patios on a sunny Monday afternoon.

Hood thought it was ironic — the crowds of people were risking their health to go shopping, but he was the one hospitalized with COVID-19 for doing what he considered his pastoral duty.

The 36-year-old Denton pastor and local activist was diagnosed with COVID-19 at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Denton early Monday morning.

Over the past few weeks, Hood has posted his thoughts on the coronavirus shutdown to Facebook and his blog. In multiple posts, he argued religious and community leaders should continue their social work in the community despite coronavirus and called the closure of churches unconstitutional.

“With such affirmed, I CALL FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE,” Hood wrote in a blog post on March 23. “Religious leaders should invite their congregations to carefully continue performing their essential social role in our society. To do anything else…is to lose who we are/who we are called to be…lovers of our neighbors.”

Hood made clear in an interview Monday that he does not advocate for churches to reopen to the public. But he does think religious and community leaders have a duty to continue caring for members of their flock.

“That should never be any question as to whether a church should be a safe haven for a community,” Hood told the Star-Telegram on Monday.

Over the past few weeks, Hood said he continued to leave the house when others called on him for help. Several times, he was called out to a domestic violence situation and went to help the person leave the house. Another time, he went to visit with someone who was suicidal.

At each visit, he said he wore a mask, gloves, and a bandanna on his head.

But still, last Thursday, he started to feel sick. He had trouble breathing, chills, body aches and dizziness.

Fourth man dies from coronavirus at Fort Worth prison as cases continue to rise

A fourth man died at Fort Worth’s male federal medical prison on Saturday of coronavirus, the Bureau of Prisons said in a press release.

Kevin Ivy, 59, died within six days of being diagnosed with COVID-19.

On April 26, Ivy was taken to the hospital with cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches and other symptoms. He tested positive for COVID-19 at the hospital.

Three days later, his condition declined and he was placed on a ventilator, the BOP said. On Saturday, Ivy died at the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth.

Ivy had long-term, pre-existing health conditions that the CDC lists as risk factors for developing serious COVID-19 symptoms, according to the BOP.

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 5:00 AM.