Coronavirus live updates June 15: 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.
Coronavirus cases on the rise in Texas. Public response will determine where it’s headed
Daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been hitting record levels in Texas. While the increase in cases wasn’t entirely unexpected, public health experts say that key metrics indicate the numbers could be at a critical juncture.
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients hit all-time highs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Friday it reached a record of 2,166 patients, Texas Department of State Health Services data showed. On Wednesday, Texas also reported a single-day high of 2,504 new cases.
On Thursday, Tarrant County reported 225 new cases — its third-highest single-day total. And after declining over the course of May, hospitalizations have begun to rise in the Fort Worth area as well.
“We are indeed at a very delicate equilibrium in the sense that it can tilt in the worse direction quickly if we are not cautious enough. But we are not there yet,” said Rajesh Nandy, an associate professor of biostatistics and epidemiology in the UNT Health Science Center’s School of Public Health.
Nandy has been closely tracking Tarrant County’s data on hospitalizations, cases and mobility over the course of the pandemic, and he said that it’s too soon to say whether the uptick is the beginning of a surge in cases. It will be important to monitor levels to see if they continue to rise and lead to a consistent pattern over the next week, Nandy said.
“We don’t know if this is the tip of the iceberg or the peak of the iceberg, but there’s more of the iceberg for sure,” said Benjamin Neuman, the head of Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s biology department and a virologist who has worked with coronaviruses for over two decades.
When COVID-19 struck Fort Worth, ‘Mrs. T’ made sure to take care of after-school kids
Trinell Parrish-Brown wears many hats.
She’s a mother, a volunteer, a driver, a substitute teacher, a student and she’s someone who selflessly gives back to her community despite the odds, her colleagues say.
Now, she’s also a Star-Telegram Hometown Hero.
For almost four years, Parrish-Brown has worked as the transportation supervisor at Hope Farm, an after-school leadership program for fatherless boys and their mothers, where the kids amicably call her “Mrs. T.”
Hope Farm regularly fed its children on site but then COVID-19 struck Tarrant County and the children had to hunker down at home, not able to go to their schools or Hope Farm.
But even though the pandemic caused a difficult situation, Parrish-Brown managed to coordinate the delivery of more than 1,500 hot meals twice a week to the families served by Hope Farm. She also helped prepare those meals and even kept in touch with the families herself.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations over Time
Coronavirus daily hospitalization counts in Texas and the larger Trauma Service Areas, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
Tarrant County reports 3 coronavirus deaths, 81 new cases
Three more coronavirus-related deaths were reported Sunday in Tarrant County, bringing the county’s number of deaths since the virus reached the U.S. to 197.
The county also reported 81 new cases of the virus Sunday, bringing the countywide total to 7,334.
The deaths were a woman in her 60s from Arlington, a man in his 40s from Fort Worth and woman in her 60s from Fort Worth.
All three had underlying health conditions, according to a news release.
At least 3,158 people have recovered. The county notes on its website that those who become infected are not required to announce their recovery, so the actual number could be higher.
Men made up 55% of infections and 58% of deaths, as of Sunday.
Fort Worth had the majority of total cases at 3,785, followed by Arlington at 1,348. Euless had the third most reported cases of any city at 173. The county reported 47% of all cases are spread within the community from a known source with 22% coming from an unknown source.
The county classifies the community spread as substantial.
Just over 200 hospital beds in the county have been reported as occupied by a COVID-19 patient. Texas reported a record number of coronavirus patients hospitalized on Sunday.
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.
Dallas County records another coronavirus death, confirms 302 more cases
Another person has died and 302 more have been infected by the coronavirus in Dallas County, according to a news release Sunday.
The death was a Dallas man in his 50s who had underlying health conditions and had been critically ill in the hospital.
The new numbers bring the total coronavirus deaths to 284 and the total infections to 14,232.
More than 80% of people who provided employment information upon hospitalization held jobs in critical infrastructure. according to the release. More than two-thirds of those hospitalized were older than 65.
More than 60% of confirmed cases in Dallas County have been among Hispanics. Hispanics make up about 40% of the population, according to the latest US Census Bureau data
Over a third of deaths in Dallas County have been associated with long-term care facilities, according to the release.
Texas hits all-time high of patients hospitalized with COVID for sixth day in past week
On Sunday, Texas hit an all-time high of patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus — the sixth day in the last week that hospitalizations have broken records.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 2,287 patients were hospitalized Sunday with COVID-19 — an increase of 45 patients from the previous records of 2,242 on Saturday.
DSHS reported 2,331 new COVID-19 cases Saturday — the second-highest number of cases reported in a single day. Texas hit a single-day high of 2,504 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
In the last seven days, Texas has seen record levels of COVID-19 hospitalizations six times, with 1,935 patients on Monday, 2,056 on Tuesday, and 2,153 patients on Wednesday. Hospitalizations dipped down slightly on Thursday to 2,008 and went on to hit records with 2,166 patients on Friday and 2,242 patients on Saturday.
Hospitalizations have been trending upward since late May, and have increased by 51.35% since the 1,511 patients hospitalized on Memorial Day. Before last week, the previous record for hospitalizations was on May 5, with 1,888 patients.
Officials have emphasized that despite the recent increases in hospitalizations, Texas has sufficient capacity to meet any demands. Sunday, DSHS reported over 14,600 available hospital beds, more than 1,500 intensive care unit beds and more than 5,800 available ventilators.
Teen tests positive for coronavirus after vigil for Burleson student who died in crash
A Burleson High School student who attended a Wednesday vigil for a schoolmate who died in a car crash later tested positive for the novel coronavirus, authorities said.
The student developed symptoms on Thursday, the Burleson school district said.
The city’s public health authority was working to notify people who were in close contact with the student, whose gender and age the district did release, and encourage a 14-day quarantine period.
District athletic facilities will be closed and University Interscholastic League summer practices and activities allowed by the Texas Education Agency suspended until the authority has completed the notifications.
The vigil was held to recall memories of Tre Allison, who died Monday. Allison, 16, was a member of the varsity football, basketball and track teams and an advanced placement student.
The student who tested positive and his or her relatives notified the district of the test result on Friday, Superintendent Bret Jimerson said.
“Their quick action may prevent this from transmitting to others,” he said.
Denton County has most coronavirus cases in a day. ‘We’ve got to take this seriously.’
Denton County reported a single-day high 55 new coronavirus cases on Friday.
The county has confirmed 1,687 COVID-19 cases, including 36 deaths and at least 936 recoveries.
The previous high for new cases in Denton County was 54 on March 27. The county has averaged 37 new cases the past five days.
“We are reporting the highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day within Denton County,” Denton County Public Health director Dr. Matt Richardson said in a release. “Summer is arriving, but COVID-19 has not gone anywhere. We’ve got to take this seriously. More than ever, we must remain vigilant in wearing masks, hand-washing, and physical distancing to protect ourselves and others.”
DCPH is offering a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing center at the University of North Texas’ Union Circle parking garage, located at 350 S. Welch St. in Denton.
The testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday.
Eligible residents include anyone with COVID-19 symptoms within the past week, essential employees, residents 60 or older, and anyone who has had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
Residents must pre-register by calling 940-349-2585.
North Texas couple in wedding nightmare after chapel company refuses refund amid pandemic
A North Texas couple has filed a class-action lawsuit against the owners of a chapel in The Colony after being forced to cancel their wedding because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rex Simmons and Brianna Conn, of Plano, were forced to cancel their July 18 wedding at the Chapel at Ana Villa, and their attempts to reschedule the event or receive a refund on their deposit of more than $12,000 have been thwarted, according to the lawsuit.
The owners Keith and Sarah Walters of Walters Wedding Estates, which includes multiple chapels and event venues in Texas, have refused to consider arranging an alternate date for the wedding, the lawsuit alleges.
“We know that this company’s unreasonable and unlawful stance has affected many other couples who are faced with the same dilemma,” Dallas attorney Mark Ticer said in a release. “We’re seeking class action status under Texas law on behalf of all those couples who have not or will not be able to have the wedding they contracted for and the wedding they have paid for with the company.”
Walters Wedding Estates responded via email after this story was first published early Friday evening.
Walters Wedding Estates says the couple did not need to cancel the wedding because the venue was able to handle it safely and within the Gov. Greg Abbott’s pandemic guidelines.