Coronavirus live updates Aug. 13: 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.
Texas’ COVID testing has dropped as positivity rate climbs, giving virus ‘upper hand’
As hospitalizations of patients with the novel coronavirus and daily new cases in Texas have begun to fall from record levels, the state’s positivity rate has skyrocketed to an all-time high.
As of Tuesday, Texas’ seven-day average positivity rate was at 24.5%, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data. Public health experts have said that for contact tracing to be effective, the number of positive cases out of those tested should remain below 5%.
And the increase in positivity hasn’t been coupled with a rise in testing. Instead, it has decreased by tens of thousands of tests. The state reported an average of 34,188 new viral tests a day for the week ending on Aug. 8, down from an average of 62,801 for the week ending July 18.
A high positivity rate with a drop in testing indicates that the state is not testing everyone it should — like those who may have been exposed, but are asymptomatic — and is likely significantly undercounting the number of cases, public health experts said.
“The fact that we are hitting over 20% of the tests that we’re taking are coming back positive from the state of Texas just says that we are missing the vast majority of cases that are out there,” 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.
If testing had remained steady and the positivity rate decreased, that would indicate the state is at least testing enough to corner the virus and understand its spread. But the positivity rate rising like it has “shows us that the virus has the upper hand right now,” Neuman said.
Hometown Hero: This leader found a way to keep Mission Central Metroplex pantry open amid COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic that forced shutdowns and layoffs brought to light that millions of Texans don’t know where their next meal will come from.
“Hunger is life and death for people,” said Treasure Ford, the community relations director at Mission Central Metroplex.
At Mission Central Metroplex, which serves Hurst, Euless and Bedford, Ford said the pantry has seen an increase in the number of people it has served. Usually the pantry serves about 400 families a month, but between March and April, almost 700 families were served.
“Most of our guests were working before all of this, but now they have nothing,” she said.
From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday, people can get the food they need.
Feeding America, which has a network of 200 food pantries across the country, found 2.3 million Texans face food insecurity as a result of COVID-19.
To make sure the organization kept a safe environment while giving out food, Ford said she sent most of her 80 volunteers home because they are older. For a couple of months, Ford and her five remaining staff members had to serve the hundreds of people coming to the pantry.
While it would’ve been easier to close the pantry back in March and wait until conditions improved, Ford and her staff showed resilience and compassion to help those families that needed their meals.
That’s why volunteer Karen Murphy nominated Ford for recognition in the Star-Telegram’s Hometown Heroes series, which highlights community members and their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tarrant County reports more than 400 new coronavirus cases, 7 deaths Wednesday
Tarrant County reported 405 new coronavirus cases and seven deaths on Wednesday.
The latest COVID-19 deaths included four Fort Worth residents and residents from Arlington, Azle, and Mansfield.
Among the deaths were a men in their 50s, 80s and 90s and a woman in her 60s, all from Fort Worth, a Mansfield woman in her 90s, an Azle woman in her 90s, and an Arlington woman in her 50s.
All had underlying health conditions except for the Fort Worth man in his 90s. The county has reported 20 pandemic-related deaths in the past five days.
Coronavirus cases remain lower in Dallas County, but death total nears 800
Dallas County reported nine coronavirus deaths and 234 new cases on Wednesday.
The county has confirmed a total of 55,787 COVID-19 cases, including 794 deaths. The county is not reporting recoveries.
Officials are also reporting 88 new probable coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,360 probable cases and seven probable deaths from COVID-19.
The nine confirmed deaths included a Garland man in his 30s, two Dallas men in their 50s, a Dallas man in his 70s, and Dallas women in their 60s and 70s. Both men in their 50s and the woman in her 70s did not have underlying health conditions.
Others include a DeSoto woman in her 70s, an Irving woman in her 70s, and a Duncanville man in his 70s.
It’s the third time in the past week the county has reported fewer than 300 new cases. More than 1,000 cases were reported for 18 consecutive days in July. Wednesday’s 234 cases are the fewest since 230 were reported on Thursday.
Denton County reports rise in coronavirus deaths, including record high Wednesday
Denton County has reported 11 coronavirus deaths in the past two days, including a single-day high seven on Wednesday.
The previous high was six on July 19, according to state data that tracks the date deaths were confirmed.
The county reported 92 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday after reporting 122 on Tuesday. It has confirmed 7,959 COVID-19 cases, including 73 deaths and 4,977 recoveries.
Wednesday’s deaths include a Lewisville woman in her 40s, a Lewisville man in his 60s, a Carrollton woman in her 50s, a female resident of Remarkable Healthcare Prestonwood in Carrollton in her 60s, a Little Elm man in his 70s, and two men older than 80, including one who was a resident of Rambling Oaks Courtyard in Highland Village and one who lived in Frisco.
“With the tragic news of seven deaths today, we ask you to please keep the families of these individuals in your thoughts and prayers,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads said in a release. “This COVID-19 virus can cause significant illness and death. It is imperative that everyone continue wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and socially distancing.”
The county reported four deaths on Tuesday, including a Highland Village man in his 40s, a Lewisville man in his 60s, a female resident in her 70s who was a resident of Brookhaven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Carrollton, and a female resident over 80 who was a resident of Rambling Oaks Courtyard.
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.
Editorial: Why TCU and the Big 12 are right to play football this fall, even with COVID-19 risk
For college football fans, this week has been like a tense, fourth-quarter shootout with the season hanging in the balance.
Back and forth the reports went: This conference won’t play the fall season, that one might, certain schools dissent.
For now, three of the five major conferences will play fall sports, including the Big 12, home of TCU, UT-Austin and several other Texas universities. They’ll do so with slimmed-down schedules, and like the rest of life these days, the spread of coronavirus could exercise a veto at any moment.
The divergence in one of the biggest American sports reflects the difficulty of restoring elements of normalcy to our society. As we wait for a vaccine, we’re constantly testing how to do the things we once did without second thought.
In this case, a bunch of university presidents weighed the desire to have football (and its massive revenues) and other fall sports against the potential medical harm and legal liability and said, it can’t be done. Others looked at the same facts and said, let’s go for it.
For now, we think the second group has it right. In as many ways as possible, we need to try to figure out how to live with the virus — safely, distanced and with all the right protocols. It’s good for Fort Worth if TCU has a season, even if truncated and without fans.
Big 12 releases its football schedule; TCU to open conference play against Iowa State
The Big 12 decided to move forward with a football season this fall Tuesday evening. And on Wednesday morning, the conference released its 2020 schedule.
The league decided on a “plus-one” model earlier this month with one non-conference game followed by a nine-game conference season.
TCU will open its season with a home game against Tennessee Tech of the Ohio Valley Conference on Sept. 12. The Horned Frogs will then host Iowa State in their Big 12 opener on Sept. 26 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
TCU will travel to Texas for its next game on Oct. 3. The only game that remained the same for TCU from its original schedule is its Nov. 28 game at Kansas over Thanksgiving weekend.
Other notable Big 12 games include the Red River Showdown between Texas and Oklahoma staying on Oct. 10 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State playing the Bedlam Series Nov. 21 in Norman. The conference championship is scheduled for Dec. 12 or Dec. 19, presumably at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.