Coronavirus live updates June 30: 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.
Hey Fort Worth, have you had COVID-19? Here’s how you can help someone else survive
North Texans who have won their fight against COVID-19 have something that could help others survive and doctors are asking for those people to share it: Their plasma.
Convalescent plasma has been given to critically ill coronavirus patients across the country — and more than 2,000 doses have been given to sick people in Dallas-Fort Worth — to help lessen the symptoms of COVID-19. As doctors learn more about the benefits of giving this plasma to their patients, there are worries that the supply levels could run low.
“It used to be that convalescent plasma was just indicated for desperately sick patients and then physicians realized it might be useful for individuals who weren’t desperately sick, but were on a ventilator,” Dr. Merlyn Sayers, the president and CEO of Carter BloodCare, said.
The net has been widened for patients who are approved to get the plasma — which contains antibodies of people who were previously infected with the disease.
“Over a period of time the indication has increased dramatically, so individuals were regarded as candidates as soon as they got to ICU and even before they were considered candidates for a ventilator,” Sayers said. “If there is a shortage, a contributor will be a broader spectrum of candidates who are recipients.”
For those who think they might be eligible to donate, Sayers said they should go to CarterBloodCare.org and then click on “convalescent plasma” from the main page.
“You can see what criteria have to be met for your candidacy to be approved and then you can request an eligibility appointment,” he said.
Texas bar owners sue Abbott, TABC over shutdown order amid rising COVID-19 cases
A coalition of bar owners filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Gov. Greg Abbott’s shutdown of bars is unconstitutional and seeks to stop it from being enforced.
In a lawsuit filed in Travis County District Court, more than 20 bar owners and private citizens allege that Abbott’s executive order shutting down bars violates provisions of the Texas Constitution and arbitrarily picks winners and losers.
The lawsuit was filed by Jared Woodfill, a Houston attorney who has led previous legal challenges to Abbott’s orders amid the pandemic. Naming Abbott, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission — the agency that oversees bars’ liquor licenses — and TABC Executive Director Bentley Nettles as defendants, the lawsuit seeks a temporary and permanent injunction to prevent bar owners’ businesses from being closed.
Spokesmen for Abbott and TABC did not immediately return requests for comment Monday afternoon.
On Friday, Abbott took some of his most significant actions yet to curb the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, and ordered bars to close — although they could remain open for to-go and delivery. Bars were previously permitted to operate at 50% capacity.
Estimated active cases over time
Coronavirus daily active case estimates by local counties in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
More than 5,900 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Monday in Texas, an all-time high
Hospitalizations of patients with the novel coronavirus in Texas reached an all-time high Monday after breaking records for nearly every day the previous two weeks.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 5,913 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Monday — a jump of 416 patients from the 5,497 hospitalized Sunday.
The state’s 16-day streak was broken Sunday, with hospitalizations breaking records from June 12 through Saturday. Hospitalizations have risen nearly every day of June, and have more than tripled since the 1,511 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Memorial Day.
Monday, DSHS reported 4,288 new COVID-19 cases — the first time new daily cases have dropped below 5,000 since last Monday. Last Thursday, Texas reported a single-day high of 5,996 cases. DSHS also reported 10 new deaths, bringing the state’s total to at least 2,403.
The state’s seven-day average infection rate — the number of cases that come back positive out of those tested — dropped slightly, and was at 13.74% Sunday compared to Saturday’s high of 14.31%.
Citing an infection rate over 10%, Abbott ordered bars and rafting and tubing businesses to shut down Friday. Restaurants were also required to reduce their capacity from 75% to 50%, and most outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people were banned unless approved by local officials.
Tarrant County reports 263 new coronavirus cases, no deaths Monday after record week
Tarrant County reported 263 new coronavirus cases on Monday, after closing out a record week for new cases.
There have been a total of 11,739 COVID-19 cases, including 225 deaths and at least 5,059 recoveries in the county.
New cases in the county have decreased each day since reaching a record high of 544 on June 23, according to a chart of the county’s coronavirus data by report date. The county reported a weekly record of 2,548 cases June 22-28, exceeding the record set the previous week by more than 900 cases.
Reporting of new cases from hospitals and clinics has tended to lag in the data compiled on Mondays since some labs don’t report data on the weekend. For example, a week ago there were also 263 cases reported, the fewest of the week. The 140 cases on June 15 were the fewest cases reported that week. And the 74 cases on June 8 were also the lowest cases reported for the week.
Fort Worth residents have accounted for 5,640 COVID-19 cases, including 127 deaths. Arlington residents have accounted for 2,338 cases and 31 deaths.
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.
Dallas County reports record high new coronavirus cases for fourth consecutive day
Dallas County reported a single-day high 572 new coronavirus cases and one death on Monday.
It’s the fourth consecutive day the county has reported a record for new COVID-19 cases. Dallas County has reported at least 300 cases every day since June 10.
The latest death is an Irving man in his 40s. He had not been critically ill and had not been admitted to a hospital but had underlying health conditions, according to officials.
Dallas County has confirmed a total of 20,737 COVID-19 cases, including 353 deaths.
Health officials are reporting more than half of all COVID-19 cases reported since June 1 have been among people age 18 to 39.
“Increasing reports are continuing to be associated with multiple large recreational and social gatherings since the beginning of June, including house parties,” Dallas health officials said in a release. Almost 70% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in June have been patients under 65 and about half of these patients have no high-risk health condition.
Families missing free or reduced-price school meals have extra month to apply for funds
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that low-income families will have an additional month to apply for extra benefits to help cover costs of free or reduced-price meals that their children would normally receive at school.
Families now have until July 31 to apply to receive a one-time benefit of $285 per child under the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, more commonly known as P-EBT.
Texas was approved last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to operate the program, which allows families to receive additional benefits equal to the value of free or reduced-price meals that their children would normally receive at school before the pandemic led to closures. The original deadline to apply was June 30.
The P-EBT benefits can be used in the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. Receiving them will not affect a family’s ability to receive other benefits, and families can still be eligible even if they are receiving free meals from their school district during the pandemic, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s website.
Texans can visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt to learn more about the program, and can have their questions answered over the phone by calling 833-613-6220. The P-EBT Call Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
A working phone number is important to include, as HHSC staff may need to contact families for additional information in order to approve applications, which are reviewed within 10 days of submission, according to HHSC’s website.
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.
TABC found 59 Texas bars violating pandemic order, suspended 7 that refused to close
Texas authorities have suspended seven bars across the state for failing to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order to close at noon Friday to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission suspended the alcohol permits for 30 days for five bars on Monday after suspending two on Friday.
The closest establishment to Dallas-Fort Worth is The Venue Private Club in Wills Point, which is about 50 miles east of Dallas. Bars in Longview and Abilene were also suspended on Friday.
Abbott’s order requires all bars earning at least 51% of their revenue from sales of alcohol to suspend operations.
Restaurants earning less than 51% of their revenue from alcohol sales may continue to operate at 50% of their indoor seating capacity.
A second violation could mean a 60-day suspension. Continued violations may result in additional penalties, including canceling the businesses’ alcohol license or permit, according to a TABC release.
If the economy is so bad, why are home prices still high in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Not even the worldwide spread of a dangerous virus can cool off Fort Worth’s hot housing market.
Real estate prices in Dallas-Fort Worth are still sizzling, despite the COVID shutdown, data provided by real estate researchers shows.
Why is that?
At a time when COVID-19 and governments’ response to it has shuttered hundreds of Metroplex restaurants and retail stores — and 340,000 Dallas-Fort Worth residents have been added to the unemployment rolls since March — the price of buying a home continues to rise.
Amy Gay, a mother of three young children, said she and her husband were surprised to discover that there had been no COVID-related dip in Fort Worth housing prices. The couple recently visited a Cape Cod-style, 2,100-square-foot home in far north Fort Worth’s Colonial Heights neighborhood with an asking price of $245,000.
Crystal Zschirnt, a real estate agent with the brokerage firm Redfin who represents buyers mostly in the Tarrant County area, said the explanation as to why home prices have remained so high during the pandemic is simple.
Many potential sellers pulled their homes off the market in March and April because they didn’t want strangers inside their homes. As a result, there were fewer homes for prospective buyers to choose from in March and April, leading to greater competition and higher prices for the limited number of dwellings that were available for sale.
MLB to have its experts weigh decision to let Texas Rangers fans into Globe Life Field
Major League Baseball isn’t yet prepared to unveil its 60-game schedule for 2020 as it monitors COVID-19 spikes nationwide and considers if it would be safe to play games in certain cities.
That includes Arlington, where the Texas Rangers are dealing with their own outbreak in the offices at Globe Life Field. Nevertheless, the Rangers expect to open the season July 24 and hope to do so at their new $1.2 billion home with fans in the stands.
While MLB will be mindful of local ordinances, the league will have a say in that decision, too.
“The commissioner has made no decisions regarding permitting fans at games,” MLB said in a statement. “The decision will be based both on whether local health authorities approve fans to attend games and whether our medical advisors believe it is appropriate to do so.”
The statement appears to be a shift in position by MLB, which last week was leaning toward letting local health officials work with clubs on allowing fans while staying largely in the background. Last Wednesday, the Rangers said they were working toward a plan that would allow them to fill 50% of their 40,000 seats, per the current phase of the governor’s Reopen Texas plan.
Parker County refusing to require face masks, allows restaurants to keep 75% capacity
Parker County Judge Pat Deen won’t require residents to wear face masks in public spaces and is allowing restaurants to remain at 75% capacity despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s Friday order.
Abbott closed all bars and other establishments that receive more than 51% of its sales from alcohol starting at noon Friday and is limiting restaurants to 50% capacity starting Monday. Health officials hope the measures help slow the coronavirus pandemic surge which has hit all-time highs this week in Texas.
Parker County, however, has been unable to report daily coronavirus case updates because of reporting errors with the state. Parker County Judge Pat Deen told the Weatherford Democrat that until accurate pandemic totals are provided by state health officials he won’t require residents to wear masks. State data shows that Parker County has confirmed 177 total COVID-19 cases, including one death. Daily updates from county officials, however, halted on June 18.
Parker County was granted attestation on June 12, which allows counties with few COVID-19 cases to keep restaurants open at 75% capacity.
“Until we understand the accuracy of what the real numbers are in Parker County, we’re not going to take any action,” Deen said. “I think going to mandatory masks at this point would be premature. As we opened up the numbers went up slightly, but it was moderate in its rise and so I think what we need right now is patience to get back the actual data of what the situation is in Parker County before we consider anything.“
Deen said his biggest concern is the “health and safety of the people of Parker County.”
Feedstore BBQ told customers the truth, and they’re thanking the Southlake restaurant
Feedstore BBQ has been making friends for nearly 20 years, and it needed them all last week.
Southlake’s backroad barbecue landmark is open again at 530 S. White Chapel Blvd., cleaned and sanitized after closing for two days and hoping to see all the Lafavers family’s fans and friends.
They took a risk. They posted June 21 on Facebook that an employee who worked in the back taking phone orders tested positive for coronavirus, one of many among more than 11,000 in Tarrant County.
At least 12 local restaurants have disclosed positive tests. Others haven’t. (It’s not required.)
“I think restaurants should be very transparent,” Lafavers said. “The only way to get the news out was on Facebook. I had to get everybody tested. We’ve always been clean, but we gave it a good cleaning.”
Customers and commenters thanked him, and Feedstore has been “very busy” since, Lafavers said.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas Dems’ request to expand mail-in ballot access amid COVID
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Texas Democratic Party’s request Friday to greatly expand vote-by-mail eligibility ahead of the July runoff elections as the novel coronavirus spreads.
Justice Samuel Alito, who handles federal cases that come out of Texas, issued the court’s denial. Last week, the party asked that the court immediately lift a stay issued by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That stay blocked U.S. District Judge Fred Biery’s order that would have allowed eligible Texas voters, regardless of age, to qualify for a mail-in ballot to avoid contracting COVID-19.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s denial means that access to mail-in ballots will not be expanded ahead of the July 14 runoff elections — for which early voting began Monday.
In order to qualify to vote by mail under Texas law, voters must submit an application and be 65 or older, disabled, out of the county on Election Day and during in-person early voting, or confined in jail.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has argued expanding access to mail-in ballots would lead to increased voter fraud, celebrated the denial Friday.
“I applaud the Supreme Court for following the law and refusing to order mail-in balloting that the Texas Legislature has forbidden,” Paxton said in a statement. “State election officials have many options available to safely and securely hold elections without risking widespread fraud.”