Dallas County new coronavirus cases down, but Jenkins urges residents to ‘stay home’
Dallas County reported 204 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Friday.
The latest deaths include three Dallas residents and one Irving resident. The patients included a Dallas man in his 50s, a Dallas man and woman in their 70s, and a Irving man in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility. All four had been hospitalized.
The county has confirmed 8,477 total COVID-19 cases, including 207 deaths. Dallas County is not reporting daily recovery totals.
Almost 40% of the coronavirus-related deaths in the county have been residents of long-term care facilities, according to county health data.
This week’s totals have been down from the previous two weeks, when the county reported 12 consecutive days of more than 200 new cases, including twice matching a single-day high of 253 cases. However, the county still has reported more than 200 cases in five of the past eight days.
“Unfortunately, none of this leads to the 14-day decline that the doctors have talked about, so we are still at that red ‘stay home stay safe’ zone,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a news release and on social media. “The doctors recommend that although bars and restaurants have opened that we avoid in-person dining, and rather do our celebrating with take-out and at home.”
Jenkins, a Democrat, has been the target of criticism by some on social media for his conservative stance on reopening non-essential businesses in the county. He has urged residents to continue to adhere to safety guidelines provided by the CDC and local and state health officials.
“If we’ll all make smart decisions, we can make it to a lower threat level where more opportunities for entertainment and commerce are open to us, and where less people are getting sick and dying,” he said. “It’s up to all of us to flatten the curve. Remember that especially until we see a decline, #StayHomeSavesLives.”
Of total coronavirus cases in Dallas County requiring hospitalization (who reported employment), more than 80% have been critical infrastructure workers, including in healthcare, transportation, food and agriculture, public works, finance, communications, clergy, first responders and other essential functions.
Two-thirds of the cases requiring hospitalization have been under 65 years old, and about half do not have high-risk chronic health conditions, according to county data.
Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 cases over time
Coronavirus daily case counts over time by local counties in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. Tap the arrow button to replay the animation. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services and local counties.
