What changes after Dallas County lowered COVID threat level for first time since May?
Dallas County lowered its color-coded coronavirus threat level to orange on Wednesday.
It’s the first time the county has diminished the threat level since May. The orange level is the second-highest of four levels. The county labels orange as “Extreme Caution.”
The threat level had been at red, the top level — “Stay Home Stay Safe” — since May. The other levels are yellow (“Proceed Carefully”) and green (“New Normal Until Vaccine”).
The coronavirus threat level guide was prepared for the county by public health officials and infectious disease experts and released in May when Gov. Greg Abbott began his reopen Texas strategy.
The orange level, according to the guide, means it’s safer to eat in restaurants and visit movie theaters as long as social distancing and face coverings are enforced. Drive-thru, delivery and pickup at restaurants are still preferred to dining in, according to the guide.
People over 65 or in high-risk groups are discouraged from any in-person activities.
The threat level change follows two weeks of lower daily COVID-19 case counts in the county. Fewer pandemic-related deaths and hospitalizations have also led to the move.
“The universal masking, the closing of the bars, people still staying home, washing their hands, teleworking when they can, has made a difference,” Dallas County heath department director Dr. Philip Huang told the Dallas Morning News.
Dallas County has confirmed a total of 72,252 COVID-19 cases, including 920 deaths. The county reported 19 deaths on Tuesday, more than in the five previous days combined.
