Dallas County judge urges residents not to focus on ‘what is legal, but on what is safe’
Dallas County reported 172 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths on Saturday.
The latest deaths included residents of Richardson, Seagoville and Mesquite. A Richardson man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility had been hospitalized and had an underlying health condition. A Mesquite man in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility had underlying health conditions and died at the facility. A Seagoville woman in her 80s with no known underlying health condition died in an area hospital.
Although the total new COVID-19 cases are slightly down from last week (200 a day compared with 233 a day), there have been more confirmed deaths: 40 this week compared to 27 last week.
“The hospitalizations for COVID-19, ICU admissions, and emergency room visits for COVID-19 symptoms have remained flat over the last week,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a release and on social media. “Overall, this week has been good news and we will hopefully begin to see a decline, but that is entirely up to you.”
Judge Jenkins urged residents to continue to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines as set by the CDC and state and local health officials.
“We must all make good decisions and focus not on what is legal, but on what is safe,” he said. “Avoid crowds, when you must be in a crowd, wear a face covering and maintain six foot distancing and practice good hygiene by washing your hands regularly. And remember, the safest thing to do right now is #StayHomeSavesLives.”
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.
This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 3:32 PM.
