Why Tarrant County added 127 previously unreported COVID-19 deaths on Friday
Tarrant County on Friday added 127 previously unreported coronavirus deaths going back to October.
The county also reported 2,998 new COVID cases. The county has averaged 2,961 new cases and 12 deaths a day for the past week. This average does not included the 127 previously unreported deaths.
Tarrant County has reported a total of 170,730 COVID-19 cases, including 1,703 deaths and an estimated 122,438 recoveries.
The reporting delay was caused, in part, because some patients were diagnosed at one location but eventually died at another.
“When this occurs the death may not get reported to the local health department,” the Tarrant County Public Health department said in a news release.
To address the issue, Texas’ Department of State Health Services has started sharing the death certificate information with local health departments where the cause or “other conditions listed indicate COVID-19.”
The 127 deaths reported on Friday include 71 in December, 39 in November and 17 in October.
Tarrant County officials plan to collect and report these previously unreported cases each Friday after reconciling the information with already confirmed deaths.
Here are the details on the 127 previously unreported COVID deaths confirmed by Tarrant County between October and December. Forty-four of the 127 deaths did not have underlying health conditions, according to officials.
Arlington, 11
Two men in their 50s
Two men in their 60s
Woman in her 70s
Three men in their 70s
Two men in their 80s
Woman in her 90s
Bedford, 2
Man in his 70s
Woman in her 90s
Benbrook, 1
Man in his 90s
Colleyville, 1
Man in his 40s
Crowley, 1
Man in his 60s
Fort Worth, 81
Woman in her 30s
Woman in her 40s
Two men in their 40s
Woman in her 50s
Nine men in their 50s
Six women in their 60s
11 men in their 60s
10 women in their 70s
10 men in their 70s
9 men in their 80s
13 women in their 80s
Two men in their 90s
Six women in their 90s
Grapevine, 3
Three men in their 70s
Haltom City, 1
Man in his 80s
Hurst, 1
Man in his 60s
Keller, 5
Man in his 60s
Two men in their 70s
Two women in their 80s
Lake Worth, 2
Man in his 60s
Man in his 80s
Mansfield, 3
Two men in their 70s
Man in his 80s
North Richland Hills, 5
Man in his 50s
Man in his 70s
Two woman in their 80s
Woman in her 90s
Saginaw, 3
Two men in their 60s
Man in his 80s
Watauga, 3
Woman in her 60s
Man in his 70s
Woman in his 80s
White Settlement, 4
Man in his 40s
Woman in her 70s
Woman in her 80s
Woman in her 90s
Hospitalized COVID patients in the county decreased by four to 1,524.
COVID-19 hospitalizations account for 29% of the total number of beds in Tarrant County and make up 35% of the 4,337 occupied beds.
Confirmed COVID patients are down slightly to 24.9% from 25.3% of all available beds in the North Central Texas Trauma Region. This is the rate Gov. Greg Abbott is using to determine whether Texas regions can allow businesses to open to larger capacities or permit bars to reopen. The rate would have to drop below 15% for seven consecutive days for business capacity to be increased.
About 83% of Tarrant County’s hospital beds were occupied as of Thursday, according to county data. There are currently 885 available hospital beds, an increase of 89. The pandemic-low of 661 was reported Monday.
Adult ICU bed occupancy was at 92% capacity as of Thursday. The pandemic-high was 99% on Dec. 28.
Ventilators in use decreased by eight to 366 as of Thursday. That matches a pandemic-high 46% of the 797 ventilators available in the county.
The COVID-19 testing positivity rate for Tarrant County residents increased to a pandemic-high 30% as of Tuesday, in the latest available seven-day average data.
Here are the total pandemic-related deaths in Tarrant County by city through Jan. 8:
- Fort Worth, 767
- Arlington, 293
- Mansfield, 68
- Bedford, 51
- Keller, 47
White Settlement, 45
Grapevine, 42
North Richland Hills, 39
Euless, 33
- Benbrook, 32
Hurst, 32
Azle, 31
Rural Tarrant County, 26
Haltom City, 23
Grand Prairie, 21
Sansom Park, 19
Crowley, 17
Richland Hills, 16
Forest Hill, 14
Saginaw, 14
Lake Worth, 13
Watauga, 13
Southlake, 11
Kennedale, 6
Colleyville, 5
Unknown, 5
Westworth Village, 4
Blue Mound, 3
Edgecliff Village, 2
Everman, 2
Lakeside, 2
Pantego, 2
River Oaks, 2
Burleson, 1
Flower Mound, 1
Pelican Bay, 1
Texas COVID-19 cases over time
Texas daily coronavirus case counts over time, and the ten counties with the most cases. Tap the arrow button to replay the animation.
Tarrant County hospital capacity
Hospital capacity by available beds and ventilators for Tarrant County. Data provided by Tarrant County Public Health.
