COVID-19 cases declining in Dallas County, but Texas data glitch keeping numbers high
Dallas County reported 1,086 new coronavirus cases and six deaths on Saturday.
Of Saturday’s COVID-19 cases, 862 are unreported from earlier this summer, including one in May, 448 in June, 63 in July, and 350 in August. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said it’s unknown how old the 350 cases in August are — from the first week of the month or earlier this week, for instance. The state has been adding unreported cases for the past week after realizing there was a glitch in its data reporting system.
The six latest deaths include Dallas men in their 40s, 50s, and two in their 60s, and two Dallas women in their 70s. All but one of the men in his 60s had underlying health conditions.
Dallas County has confirmed 68,572 COVID-19 cases, including 855 deaths. The county does not report recoveries.
The county reported 31 pandemic-related deaths this week (Sunday through Saturday) after reporting 75 the previous week.
County officials are reporting that 531 children between 5 and 18 years old contracted the coronavirus during the first two weeks of August. Since July 1, at least 3,549 children in the county have contracted COVID-19, including 66 of whom have been hospitalized.
New overall cases have declined to 256 a day, compared with 916 in the middle of July.
“The sacrifices you’re making by wearing your mask, maintaining six-foot distancing, and avoiding unnecessary outings around people outside your family is paying off,” Jenkins said in a release and on social media. “Please keep doing that. We’re all in this together and I know that many are tired of masking. It’s hot and we’ve been at this a long time but there’s really no place for a loosening of resolve now as we try to get back to a place where our children can return to school.”
