Coronavirus live updates Sept. 4: 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.
Should your school reopen? Tarrant County unveils COVID-19 dashboard to help decide
As schools in Tarrant County weigh the options of opening for in-person classes or continuing online learning, Tarrant County Public Health has released a COVID-19 school data dashboard that will suggest what learning scenarios are appropriate for different school zones.
The dashboard is sectioned off by public high school attendance zones and shows coronavirus metrics for each local area, which also includes elementary, middle, charter and private schools, according to a Tarrant County Public Health press release. People can use a drop-down menu and see the coronavirus infection rate in the county, each school district, and high school attendance zones for comparison.
The dashboard can be found at tarrantcounty.com/schoolguidance. Officials will update it every Monday.
“The new dashboard, along with our existing education guidance, is designed to help our school leadership and parents understand their local COVID-19 infection rates so they can make the best decisions for their children,” Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said in the release.
“The data metrics in Tarrant County show that the COVID-19 situation has improved enough in several school zones, shown in yellow, to allow the hybrid model of learning, which couples online virtual learning with in-person learning,” Taneja said.
Some school districts in the county still are in the red zone, which means that virtual learning only is highly recommended.
UIL says school districts that don’t follow COVID-19 guidelines could be sanctioned
After one week of high school football games, some school districts may be jeopardizing having spectators or having a season altogether.
The UIL has reached out to multiple school districts about not following coronavirus guidelines that include capacity limits, face coverings and social distancing, Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football first reported Monday.
“As we get fall seasons underway, UIL is reminding schools that it is critical to follow the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Guidelines so we can continue to offer the opportunity for students to compete in UIL activities this year,” the UIL said in an email. “Schools not following these guidelines are subject to sanctions, including suspension of contests or discontinuation of public access to games, by the local UIL District Executive Committee and/or UIL State Executive Committee.”
Tarrant County COVID trends steady with 227 new cases, 2 deaths reported Thursday
Tarrant County reported 227 new coronavirus cases and two deaths on Thursday.
The deaths were a Fort Worth man in his 60s and a Fort Worth woman in her 80s. Both had underlying health conditions, according to officials.
Tarrant County has reported a total of 42,297 COVID-19 cases, including 562 deaths and an estimated 36,807 recoveries.
About 5% of the coronavirus deaths in the county had no underlying health conditions and 1% of deaths had undetermined contributing factors, according to the Tarrant County Public Health website.
Among the total confirmed cases, the county does not have information on the race of 43% of the patients, which officials label “not reported.” In cases where race was reported, Hispanics makes up 27%, whites 16%, Blacks 10%, Asian/Pacific Islanders 2%, and 1% are labeled as “other.”
Of the total pandemic-related deaths in the county, 46% (257 deaths) were white, 30% (167) were Hispanic, 20% (110) were Black, 2% (13) were Asian/Pacific Islander, 2% (9) were unreported, 1% (4) were labeled as “other,” and less than 1 percent (2) were American Indian/Alaskan Native.
The age range of the deaths include 71% who were 65 or older, 24% age 45 to 64, 5% age 25 to 44, and one person between 15 and 24.
Dallas judge urges socially distanced Labor Day in wake of 8 COVID deaths, 250 cases
Dallas County reported 250 coronavirus cases and eight deaths on Thursday.
Of those cases, 122 were unreported from earlier in the pandemic, including 121 from August and one from July.
Texas’ Department of State Health Services discovered an error in its data reporting system and has worked to report those cases since early August.
The latest COVID-19 deaths include three men in their 50s, a man and woman in their 60s, a woman in her 70s, and a man and woman in their 80s. Four of the patients were residents of long-term care facilities.
Four of the deaths were in Dallas, two in Garland and one each in Duncanville and Lancaster.
Dallas County has confirmed 72,860 COVID-19 cases, including 934 deaths. The county does not report recoveries.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins urged residents to continue social distancing practices through the Labor Day weekend. North Texas saw a spike in cases after Memorial Day in May.
“In order to continue seeing the sort of gains that will get less people sick, get more businesses thriving, and more school children back in the classroom, we need to make smart decisions this Labor Day weekend,” Jenkins said in a release and on social media. “As you celebrate Labor Day, please do it responsibly. That means wearing a mask 100% of the time when around people outside your household and maintaining six foot distancing.”
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.
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 10:04 AM.