Fort Worth area gets good COVID news, but staying home is still deemed ‘best strategy’
The number of coronavirus cases in Tarrant County appears to be trending down and the death count seems to have stabilized.
That was the word Tuesday, when Public Health Director Vinny Taneja gave his weekly update to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court.
“Overall, the trend looks down,” he said. “This is good news.
“But it’s still time for caution,” he told reporters after the commissioners meeting. “I don’t want the public to come out and rejoice in the streets because that could undo all the work we’ve done so far.”
Taneja has updated commissioners on cases for the past two months and, on Tuesday, gave his shortest COVID update to date. He said the downward trend can be found by reviewing the seven-day average of cases, the number of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients and the number of cases by specimen collection dates.
Stores, malls and restaurants were to open with restrictions on May 1.
“Everything is moving along as we had hoped,” Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said. “Knock on wood, I hope we don’t see an additional surge.
“I feel good about what’s going on so far.”
The first known coronavirus case, when the Rev. Robert Pace of Trinity Episcopal in Fort Worth tested positive, was reported in Tarrant County on March 10.
As of Tuesday, there were 5,039 positive COVID-19 cases in Tarrant County. Those cases include 144 deaths and 1,912 recoveries.
Taneja urged residents to continue doing what they can to prevent the spread of more cases.
“Staying at home as much as possible is the best strategy,” Taneja said. “Social distancing is the best tool. Wear a mask when you go out.”
And Texans over the age of 65 should continue to stay home as much as possible, he said.
Jail inmate dies of COVID-19
Tarrant Commissioners asked Sheriff Bill Waybourn for more information about the first Tarrant inmate to die of COVID -19.
The 67-year-old man, who had underlying health conditions, died Saturday after being transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital on May 3.
The man was being held by the courts with no bond since Feb. 20 after being arrested on two counts of suspicion of DWI felony repetition.
When he was booked in the jail, he was screened and then quarantined for 14 days, Waybourn said.
When the inmate showed symptoms of coronavirus, he was moved to isolation and then soon to JPS. Waybourn said the inmate “had little or no contact with other prisoners.”
