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.

Coronavirus could leave Arlington residents on the hook for Rangers’ Globe Life Field

Arlington’s Globe Life Field — the indoor-optional baseball stadium the Rangers wanted because the old one was too hot — was primarily supposed to be paid for by visitors to the city. In 2016, residents voted overwhelmingly for Arlington to cover $500 million of the $1.2 billion cost and to repay the bonds over 30 years by extending a half-cent sales tax, a 2% hotel occupancy tax and a 5% car rental tax, as well as charging the Rangers $2 million annually in rent. Mayor Jeff Williams said the share paid for by residents would be no more than 25%. In a project overview for the stadium, the city noted that “venue taxes are largely tourism based taxes; our visitors pay for a large share of the venues they come to visit.”

Those assurances were made in the pre-pandemic era. Four years later, with Globe Life Field completed on time but sitting unused, Arlington is reeling from an economy nearly devoid of the tourism that was supposed to cover its share of the stadium, a development that may lead to a longer payoff strategy than the city used on previous stadiums and residents paying a higher proportion of the cost than predicted before the coronavirus.

“Just like with any other type of investment that occurs there’s going to be peaks and valleys of how this is going,” said Arlington city manager Trey Yelverton. “We expected times of the hotel and sales tax being really strong and times when it would be less. Clearly this would be less than anything we really anticipated.”

Before COVID-19 weakened the economy, revenues from the half-cent sales tax had grown steadily to $34 million in 2019, from $22 million in 2006. Annual hotel tax revenue had increased in the same time frame to $2.7 million, from $1.3 million. The rental car tax brought in about $900,000 the last two years. Those taxes have been used for more than a dozen years to pay for the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.

These stadium payments are similar to mortgages. The sooner Arlington can pay off the bonds, the less interest is accrued and the lower the cost. For a city that has been criticized for brokering deals that are too preferential to the Cowboys and Rangers, Arlington has done well in mitigating the stadium costs it has assumed. It paid off its share of the Rangers’ last home, Globe Life Park, 10 years ahead of the payment plan agreed to by residents. AT&T Stadium was set to be paid off in the next couple years, ahead of the 2034 plan, Yelverton said, until the payments were folded into the new payments for Globe Life Field.

But just like with an average mortgage holder, things get complicated if revenue streams dry up and payments take up a larger portion of a declining income.

Not just Trump, but 15 years of fed inaction led to shortage, North Texas mask maker says

Much has changed since Michael Bowen helped start the largest surgical mask maker in the United States with company president Dan Reese.

The United States used to produce as much as 90% of the surgical masks used here, but now most of those masks are produced in China and Mexico, Bowen said.

The turn started in 2004, a year before the company he helped found in North Richland Hills was born, Bowen said to members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Thursday.

In his testimony Thursday, Bowen apologized to members of the congressional committee for sometimes coming across as an angry man and for using an occasional curse word, but later acknowledged that the 15 years of federal inaction on this issue “has cost lives” during the coronavirus pandemic.

“By the way forgive me for being angry,” Bowen said. “I’m angry because I’ve done this for so long and I’ve been ignored for so long. And I apologize.”

Bowen said had the federal government taken him up on the offer he made at the beginning of the year, not for a contract at that point because he was just trying to be helpful, Prestige Ameritech could have put 7 million more N95 masks on the market a month.

First big Fort Worth restaurant to close for good from COVID is Sundance Square anchor

Bird Café, an anchor restaurant in a historic Sundance Square landmark, will close May 22, owner Shannon Wynne and Sundance officials said.

“Coronavirus has worn out our ability to stay open at Bird,” said Wynne, a 40-year Dallas and Fort Worth restaurateur.

His other Sundance Square restaurant and bar, the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, remains open for take-out dining and will resume patio service soon, Wynne said. The family’s related Flying Fish and Rodeo Goat restaurants remain open.

The restaurant will remain open next week so customers can say farewell, he said.

Bird Cafe opened in 2013 in the 1889-vintage Land Title Block building, 111 E. Fourth St., on the corner diagonally opposite the Bass Performance Hall.

Bird became the signature restaurant for Bass Hall concertgoers and Van Cliburn International Piano Competition contestants, and drew weekend brunch crowds to Sundance Square Plaza. It was often rated the city’s No. 1 brunch on dining apps or in online polls.

Two weeks after Gov. Abbott’s ‘reopening,’ Texas reports single-day high COVID deaths

A single-day high of 58 Texans’ deaths from the coronavirus were confirmed on Thursday, two weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening.

The state has reported 116 deaths over the past three days, the most in a three-day stretch during the pandemic.

Of Thursday’s 58 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, three were in Tarrant County and six were in Dallas County.

The state has confirmed a total of 43,851 COVID-19 cases, including 24,487 recoveries and 1,216 deaths. There are more than 18,000 active cases in the state.

In television interviews across the state Thursday night, Abbott focused on the recent increases in daily tests. Abbott has previously set a goal of at least 25,000 tests per day — a threshold the state hit in recent days.

The new daily high of COVID-19 related deaths came days ahead of an expected announcement of more business reopenings on Monday.

Abbott told KRIV that both increased capacity and allowing additional businesses to reopen their doors are being considered. Bars are among the businesses that have not yet been permitted to reopen, and groups have sent recommendations to Abbott on how to safely do so.

“We’ve got some fantastic strategies provided by bars that would lead to ways of separating people that would be able to create distancing strategies that we are running by our medical team, and hopefully we will be able to make an announcement on Monday about this,” Abbott said.

Abbott insisted in an interview with KBTX in College Station that hospitals still have sufficient capacity to handle a possible surge in cases, and reiterated his focus on downward trends in rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.

“What we look at is the real data about what’s taking place, and here’s the fact: The fact is that the growth rate of COVID-19 in the state of Texas is leveling off,” he said. “The fact is that hospitalizations, for example, they’re 28 fewer today than they were yesterday and yesterday they were lower than the day before.”

7th inmate dies from COVID at Fort Worth prison — 8 days before his scheduled release

A seventh inmate from a federal medical prison in Fort Worth died of coronavirus, eight days before he was scheduled to be released from FMC Fort Worth.

Vernon Adderley, 56, died Monday, and his release was scheduled for May 19. He had served about 19 years in prison, according to court records.

Adderley was diagnosed with coronavirus on April 29 at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth. He had a fever, was short of breath and had other COVID-19 related symptoms. He was taken to the hospital when he became dehydrated and had weakness in his lower extremities.

On May 4, Adderley was put on a ventilator. On Monday, he died at John Peter Smith Hospital, the Bureau of Prisons said in a press release.

Adderley had long-term, pre-existing conditions, the BOP said, but did not specify what those conditions were.

Staff face stress, exhaustion at Fort Worth prison with more than 600 coronavirus cases

Robert Warner has not been able to hug his grandchildren in a month, and he has not lived inside his home since early April.

As a corrections officer at Federal Medical Center Fort Worth, Warner steps inside a prison each day where hundreds of people have tested positive for coronavirus. He and other prison staff are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and face the stress of caring for themselves, the approximately 1,400 inmates and the Dallas-Fort Worth community.

About 300 people work at the federal prison, where 641 inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, according to corrections officer and local union president Gregory Watts. Seven inmates have died.

Four staff members have tested positive for the virus, one of whom recovered and returned to work.

“Right now we’re on the frontlines out there,” Union Chief Steward Cheri Reibe said. “It’s very out of ordinary for the staff and inmates.”

Tarrant County reports 135 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths

Tarrant County reported 135 new coronavirus cases and three deaths on Thursday.

The county has confirmed 4,211 COVID-19 cases, including 117 deaths and 828 recoveries.

The latest coronavirus deaths include two Fort Worth men in their 70s and 80s, and a Keller woman in her 80s. They each had underlying conditions, according to health officials.

Of the 117 pandemic-related deaths, 70 have been residents of Fort Worth, 12 residents of Arlington and seven residents of Keller.

Dallas County reports over 200 coronavirus cases for 12th day in row, 6 more deaths

Dallas County confirmed six more coronavirus deaths and 235 new cases on Thursday.

The county has reported a total of 6,837 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 159 deaths.

More than 200 new coronavirus cases have been reported by county health officials for each of the past 12 days.

The latest deaths are all Dallas residents, including one in a long-term care facility. The ages include a man in his 50s, two men and a woman in their 60s, and two men in their 90s.

“It’s up to all of us to follow the doctors’ advice that you can find at www.DallasCountyCOVID.org and work together to #FlattenTheCurve for ourselves and for our community,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. “This is the best way to stop needless suffering and loss of life and get our economy moving again.”

Denton County reports 3 coronavirus deaths

Denton County reported three coronavirus deaths Thursday, the first there since Friday.

The county has confirmed 28 COVID-19 deaths, the latest being a Denton man in his 70s, a Colony man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s in rural Denton County. All three had been hospitalized.

The majority of reported deaths in Denton County have not been current residents of long-term care facilities, highlighting the universal risk of local transmission and potentially fatal outcomes,” Denton County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Richardson said in a news release.

Denton County reported 27 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 1,016, including 541 recoveries.

“It is extremely important, as businesses reopen and we begin to venture out more often, that we take every precaution possible to keep ourselves, our families, our friends and others whose paths we cross as safe as possible,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads said in a release.

Collin County offers free testing for uninsured

Collin County has reported three coronavirus deaths since May 8, including a 90-year-old McKinney woman on Sunday, a 77-year-old Plano woman on Monday and a 71-year-old Plano man on Wednesday.

The county has reported 15 new cases each of the past two days and has confirmed 993 total COVID-19 cases, including 30 deaths and 661 recoveries. The county reports 11,950 negative tests and is monitoring 1,671 residents for symptoms.

Collin County residents without health insurance are eligible to receive free COVID-19 testing and physical evaluations under the Collin Cares plan.

Collin County Commissioners Court authorized $3 million to cover the costs for testing uninsured residents of all ages through a voucher system. The county will be billed directly by local healthcare providers. The funding for Collin Cares comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Only uninsured residents are eligible and prescriptions are not covered.

All health-care providers are eligible and encouraged to participate in the Collin Cares COVID-19 testing program. PrimaCare Urgent Care and CommunityMed Urgent Care have already agreed to accept the vouchers.

Eligible residents are encouraged to contact their health-care providers to determine whether they will accept the Collin Cares vouchers. Health-care providers that would like to inquire about the program should call 972-548-4702.

More information is available at the Collin Cares website.

Are you eligible for free coronavirus test at new drive-thru site in North Fort Worth?

A new, free drive-thru coronavirus testing site is available in North Fort Worth.

Individuals must meet Centers for Disease Control and state and local guidelines and schedule and appointment through eTrueNorth. Individuals will be screened to see if they meet the testing criteria. First responders, health care providers and those in high-risk groups with symptoms are eligible, along with anyone experiencing noted COVID-19 symptoms.

The site is located in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter at 8520 N. Beach St. Testing is available 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

If you struggle to schedule an appointment online, you can call 800-635-8611.

Eligible participants should arrive no more than 10 minutes before their appointment time and have their appointment confirmation, along with a valid photo ID. Individuals will perform a self-administered nasal swab in their car while a health care provider observes. The results can be accessed online in about three to five days.

To be tested, you need to wear a mask and stay in your vehicle for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and sample self-collection. For the safety of all those onsite, the test site is not available for walk up.

Texas Supreme Court permits evictions and debt collections to resume

The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday night lifted its pause on eviction and debt collection proceedings, permitting them to resume next week amid the novel coronavirus spread.

Trials, hearings and proceedings for residential evictions may resume Tuesday, May 19, and beginning May 26, warnings may be posted and orders may be issued. In eviction proceedings filed from March 27 through July 25, tenants covered under provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by Congress are exempt.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition launched a searchable database that allows renters to look up if their property is exempt under the federal moratorium.

In March, Tarrant County had suspended eviction proceedings indefinitely, but the order noted that was subject to change following new statewide directives.

The court also issued an emergency order that allows debt collections to resume May 18. It notes that debtors and receivers may request a hearing, either in-person or remote, to determine what funds may be attributable to a stimulus payment under the CARES Act.

State appeals court upholds ruling expanding vote-by-mail eligibility amid coronavirus

A state appeals court upheld a lower court’s order Thursday that allows Texans who lack immunity to the novel coronavirus to qualify for mail-in ballots ahead of the upcoming elections.

In a 2-1 decision, a panel of judges from the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston ruled Thursday that state district Judge Tim Sulak’s temporary injunction issued last month “remains in effect.” Sulak had sided with the Texas Democratic Party in its lawsuit challenging the state, and allowed Texans to cite the disability category under state law in order to vote by mail amid the pandemic.

In order to qualify to vote by mail under state law, Texans must submit an application and be either 65 years or older, disabled, out of the county on election day and during early voting, or be eligible to vote but confined in jail.

Attorney General Ken Paxton had argued that his appeal of Sulak’s ruling meant that the order was stayed — a point that civil rights organizations and groups challenging the state had pushed back on.

“The Court of Appeals correctly stood up Judge Sulak’s order which remains in effect,” Chad Dunn, the Texas Democratic Party’s attorney, said in a statement Thursday. “Eligible voters can vote by mail during this pandemic. It is time for a few state officers to stop trying to force people to expose themselves to COVID-19 in order to vote.”

The legal battle over expanding eligibility and access to mail-in ballots amid the pandemic is far from over. State and federal lawsuits are ongoing, and a hearing is set for Friday morning in the Texas Democratic Party’s federal lawsuit challenging the state.

Will the PGA Tour affect local coronavirus testing? Fort Worth stop needs 400 tests

The PGA Tour rolled out a somewhat ambitious plan this week to resume professional golf amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, starting with Fort Worth’s Charles Schwab Challenge that includes providing about 400 COVID-19 tests for tournament participants.

Tour officials and a city councilman heavily involved in the golf tournament were adamant testing professional golfers and their caddies at the Colonial Country Club would not create a shortage of tests for Fort Worth residents, but neither immediately produced evidence that ordering hundreds of tests would not affect local testing. More information may be available closure to the tournament, scheduled for the week of June 8 with rounds June 11-14.

“This is in no way meant to limit care to our citizenry for the PGA,” said Fort Worth Councilman Dennis Shingleton, a longtime Colonial Country Club member.

On a conference call with journalists this week, the PGA repeatedly emphasized that the Tour would not take resources away from the community. The Tour will provide and pay for every test administered to run the event, as well as the costs associated with self-isolation for anyone who tests positive.

Testing is one element of a PGA plan designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus as the golfers move around the country this summer and fall. The goal is to create a “bubble” for players and others associated with the tournaments by isolating them from the public as much as possible, and encouraging social distancing measures on and off the course.

TCU coaches, AD reduce salaries amid coronavirus pandemic

Facing financial uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic, TCU has reduced the salaries of several coaches and administrators within the athletic department.

A source confirmed that, among others, football coach Gary Patterson, men’s basketball coach Jamie Dixon, baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle and athletic director Jeremiah Donati were among a group who voluntarily reduced their salaries during this crisis.

Another source added that football assistants Sonny Cumbie, Chad Glasgow, Jarrett Anderson and Dan Sharp also voluntarily took pay cuts.

“I am extremely proud that our coaches stepped up and made these voluntary pay cuts,” Donati said in a text message to the Star-Telegram. “They truly understand the environment we, and so many others, are in. It really shows their commitment to TCU.”

According to tax documents for the 2017 fiscal year, Patterson made $4.9 million while Dixon made $3.4 million and Schlossnagle made $1.2 million that year.

Patterson made a $50,000 donation to the school’s crisis fund last month as well.

Azle city officials defend decision to shut down high school graduation parade

A group of parents with graduating seniors from Azle High School planned to honor the 2020 class by throwing a parade down the city’s Main Street later this month.

As one parent, Tabitha Vanrachack, said, “These seniors have already missed out on so much this year. This would be a great way to honor them.”

A Facebook post earlier this week touted the parade as being accompanied by the city’s mayor, fire department and police department. However, the idea has since been shut down by Azle’s police chief Rick Pippins and city manager Tom Muir.

Both do not see how the parade can be conducted in a safe manner on short notice, particularly amid the coronavirus pandemic. And both said neither the city, nor the police department, had approved the parade scheduled for May 28, as the organizers believed.

“We have parades in Azle, just like a lot of different places,” Pippins said. “Parades are a point of pride and most people go to them and think, ‘Well, that went off easily.’ The reason these things look simple a lot of times is because of the weeks, and sometimes months, of planning that go into them.

“I cannot approve this. Social distancing aside, which is still very much a significant issue, we do not, nor does any other professional police manager, throw these things together at the last moment. It’s a matter of public safety.”

Hotter’N Hell cycling event in Wichita Falls canceled because of pandemic concerns

The Hotter’N Hell Hundred, the largest single-day 100-mile bicycle ride in the nation, has been canceled.

The Wichita Falls event, which started in 1982 and is one of the biggest of its kind in the world, has attracted as many as 13,000 riders/runners, including almost 12,000 in 2019. It was scheduled for Aug. 27-30. Organizers say local government and public health officials decided the coronavirus pandemic posed too much risk.

The HHH is offering a virtual event that allows participants to ride or run their HHH event in their hometowns and receive an official 2020 HHH ride t-shirt and finisher’s medal via mail.

The 1,700 riders and runners who have already registered for the 2020 event have the option to shift their 2020 registration to a 2020 virtual event, defer registration to the 2021 event, or donate their fees to the United Regional Foundation/Children’s Miracle Network. Registered participants should receive an email giving them the opportunity to select an option.