Coronavirus live updates June 1: Here’s what to know in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
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.
Hometown hero: ‘Deeply compassionate’ Fort Worth woman shepherds food pantry into a community hub
In east Fort Worth, the community around St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church has found a devoted advocate and kindhearted leader in Patti Callahan.
The church is in a food desert along Meadowbrook Drive, and for three years it has serviced a growing number of people through the 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry, an endeavor that Callahan has spearheaded selflessly, friends said.
“It’s an act of love, and we’re all part of taking care of each other,” Callahan said.
The pantry was not Callahan’s idea, but she took on the responsibility of shepherding the concept into reality. A previous priest thought unused church space could benefit the surrounding community as a food bank, so Callahan studied the need. She helped establish the pantry as a nonprofit, worked with the Tarrant Area Food Bank and remodeled the church’s unused space.
When pantry organizers found there was more interest than the church could sustain on its own, Callahan was among members who approached three other Episcopal churches, St. Alban’s in Arlington, St. Martin in the Fields in Keller and St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Hurst. The pantry started serving about a dozen families and grew to regularly serving between 70 and 80 families.
The novel coronavirus outbreak has increased that demand, pushing the number to roughly 100. In the second week of the shutdown, more than 160 families came for help, Callahan said.
Grundy nominated Callahan to be highlighted as part of the Star-Telegram’s Hometown Heroes series because of her work with the 4Saints Episcopal Food Pantry and her deep compassion for others. Callahan has been at the church or the pantry every week since it started, Grundy surmised, and attributed the food operation’s success to her friend.
Hometown Heroes is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, which is providing $1,000 each to the 28 people selected by the Star-Telegram to be featured in the weekly series.
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.
It’s a huge win for Azle High as more than 400 touch home plate at Globe Life Field
The team arrived at the Globe Life Field early. They had their hats and uniforms on and they were ready to step onto the field.
Only the hats and uniforms were kelly green mortarboards and gowns and the team were the 400-plus graduates of Azle High School.
Because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, Azle needed to move its graduation from its original location at the Fort Worth Convention Center, an indoor facility that has been banned by Gov. Greg Abbott from hosting such events.
Azle is one of nearly 50 high schools that will hold its graduation ceremony outdoors at Globe Life Field, the yet-to-be-played-in $1.2 billion retractable-roof home of the Texas Rangers.
“I am a huge baseball fan, so I was kind of excited ... to come see the new park,” said Austyn Naron, whose (obvious) main reason for attending Saturday night’s ceremony was so that she could see her daughter receive her diploma along with the rest of the Class of 2020.
“I’d like to thank all the incredible people involved that made graduation possible,” Azle class president Maddie Aniasco said. “Without them, we would not be able to come together and commemorate all our hard work these past four years. Although this is not how we expected our senior year to end, our class will forever be a part of history.”
Tarrant County reports no coronavirus deaths Sunday
Tarrant County reported 50 new coronavirus cases on Sunday.
The county reported no COVID-19 deaths for the first time in 15 days.
The county has had 5,513 COVID-19 cases, including 165 deaths and 2,313 recoveries.
The last time it reported no pandemic-related deaths was May 16.
New cases spiked at 76 on Tuesday and have decreased since then, with 33, 24 and seven cases the next three days, according to specimen collection data provided by county health officials.
Of the total cases in Tarrant County, 2,891 have been in Fort Worth and 1,029 have been in Arlington.
Dallas County reports most new coronavirus cases in more than 2 weeks as trend rises
Dallas County reported 228 new coronavirus cases and another death on Sunday.
The latest is a Dallas man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility and had underlying health conditions.
The county has confirmed 10,234 COVID-19 cases, including 229 deaths.
Dallas County is not reporting daily recovery totals.
It’s the fourth consecutive day the county has reported 200 or more new cases and most since reporting 235 on May 1.
“Today’s number, along with the last three days, are the beginning of a modest trend upward in increased positive cases,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a press release and on social media.
Jenkins said the county has still not shown a decline in the three main metrics used to determine the community threat level of the coronavirus. Those metrics are hospitalizations, emergency room visits for COVID-19 patients and ICU admissions.
“We’ll have a better gauge of those numbers on Tuesday as there is a lag in reporting on the weekend,” Jenkins said. “Unfortunately, we have not seen a decline yet in any of the metrics that the doctors and the @CDC are looking for to loosen our restrictions so please continue to make smart decisions.”