Coronavirus live updates Aug. 11: 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.
Fort Worth may spend $20 million in COVID aid to buy hotels, fight homelessness
Fort Worth’s housing authority and the city are hoping to rapidly turn unused hotel rooms into supportive housing for those facing homelessness who are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus.
The $18.6 million plan is funded through part of the city’s CARES Act stimulus allocation. The city has already set aside $15 million for small business grants and more than $7 million for a separate housing assistance program from the $158 million aid package.
The plan is simple but the time line is quick.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions will acquire a hotel, or more than one, to be converted into apartments for those facing homeless who have a chronic medical condition or require some form of long-term treatment. Altogether, the city would like to establish 200 units.
Locations must be determined by Friday to apply for the necessary zoning changes. Once those are approved next month, Fort Worth Housing Solutions will have until December to remodel and lease out the units because the stimulus aid expires at the end of the year.
The City Council will vote on the plan Tuesday with an agenda item contracting with Fort Worth Housing Solutions and will approve the actual hotel sites Sept. 15.
Players, coaches — and even Trump — say #WeWantToPlay college football this fall
College football is in jeopardy of being canceled this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a Stadium report on Monday, the Mountain West became the second Group of Five conference to shut down football for the fall, joining the MAC.
No Power Five conference has officially called off the season yet, although the Big Ten is reportedly close to postponing or canceling its season. The Pac-12 has also been linked as being likely to pull the plug on the season.
The ACC, meanwhile, is “moving forward in an attempt to play,” according to Sports Illustrated. And SEC commissioner Greg Sankey posted on Twitter the importance of staying patient and taking time to make decisions during this pandemic.
“Can we play? I don’t know,” Sankey wrote on Monday. “We haven’t stopped trying. We support, educate and care for student-athletes every day, and will continue to do so ... every day.”
The Big 12 board of directors and athletic directors are expected to meet with the league’s medical advisers on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments.
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.
Tarrant County COVID-19 hospitalizations remain steady; no deaths reported Monday
Tarrant County reported 305 new coronavirus cases Monday and no deaths for the first time in a week.
The last time no COVID-19 deaths were reported was Aug. 3, also a Monday. Updated data from some labs is not reported over the weekend, which has resulted in totals often being lower on Monday.
The county reported 31 pandemic-related deaths in the previous six days.
Tarrant County has reported a total of 34,165 COVID-19 cases, including 422 deaths and an estimated 22,792 recoveries.
Hospitalizations for confirmed cases of COVID-19 remained at 9% of all available beds in the county as of Sunday. Hospitalizations peaked at 15% on July 23.
‘We must not lose our resolve.’ Dallas County judge urges vigilance as COVID cases drop
Dallas County reported 581 new coronavirus cases and one death on Monday.
The latest death was a Seagoville woman in her 90s who was in hospice care with underlying health conditions.
The county has confirmed 55,255 COVID-19 cases, including 756 deaths. County officials do not release recoveries. Dallas County reported 67 total pandemic-related deaths in the previous seven days.
It is reporting 40 probable cases for a total of 2,242 probable cases and a total of six probable deaths.
The county has reported fewer than 1,000 new coronavirus each day in August. In July, it reported more than 1,000 new cases for 18 consecutive days.
“Today continues a trend of lower hospitalizations, lower ICU admissions and lower ED visits for #COVID19,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a release and on social media. “Our new cases are in line with the trajectory that we’ve seen which is markedly lower than our high.”
Jenkins urged residents to continue practicing safety measures to help slow the spread of the #COVID19.
“The limited success we’re seeing is due to masking, six foot social distancing, avoiding unnecessary trips as well as hand-washing,” he said. “We must not lose our resolve that has brought us to a better place than we were in the middle of last month.”
First Texas high school cancels football, volleyball seasons due to COVID-19
The first cancellation of a high school sports program due to COVID-19 has reached the state of Texas.
Ben Bolt High School, a Class 2A school outside of Corpus Christi, is the first in the state to cancel the 2020 football and volleyball seasons due to the coronavirus.
According to Quinton Martinez of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, the Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco ISD school board voted to start school online for the first nine weeks through Oct. 9. The district wasn’t going to allow practices for extracurricular activities to begin until Oct. 3.
“After close consideration and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to suspend all UIL fine arts and athletic activities until after the first nine week reporting period or October 30, 2020,” said superintendent Mike A. Barrera in a press release last week.
Activities wouldn’t start until the end of October to allow for an acclimatization period and matches wouldn’t start until November, making it impossible to play football and especially volleyball.