Why Dallas County reported a massive number of COVID-19 cases on Monday
Dallas County reported 1,517 COVID-19 cases, the most since Aug. 18.
The county also reported two pandemic-related deaths, including a Grand Prairie man in his 40s and a Dallas man in his 50s. Both had underlying health conditions.
Monday’s increased case totals, which is double Sunday’s total, is partly because a large network of outpatient clinics started electronically reporting its antigen testing results to the Dallas County Health and Human Services, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
Jenkins said of the 1,517 cases, about 80% are from these clinics and the numbers represent tests from Oct. 13-29.
“This is not really a backlog, but rather a bulk upload from outpatient clinics that have ramped up antigen testing this month,” Jenkins said in a release and on social media. “With the numbers that we are seeing, it is increasingly important that we wear a mask and avoid crowds. You know what to do, we just need to all do it.”
Dallas County has confirmed 97,875 COVID-19 cases, including 1,119 deaths.
The county is reporting a seven-day average of 652 daily new cases, the highest daily average of new cases since July.
The positive test rate has increased to 15.4% among symptomatic patients at area hospitals.
The county reports that 587 children (5 to 17) are either confirmed or listed as probable for COVID-19, which is twice the totals for school-age children a month ago.
