COVID-19 Report: 1,364 Cases, 43 Deaths Announced Monday; Cases, Deaths, Hospitalizations All Drop

Across the largest four counties in North Texas Monday there were 43 more reported COVID-19 deaths and another 1,364 new reported cases of the virus. The percentage of people hospitalized in TSA-E with COVID-19 has dropped for seven days straight to 6.6% and has been trending downward since mid-January.

County-specific details for Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties are below based on data reported Monday, March 8, by county officials, local health departments and the state health department.

Dallas County

Dallas County reported another 27 COVID-19 deaths Monday along with 424 new cases of the virus. In the last seven days, the county has announced 3,355 new and probable cases of the virus, an average of 479 per day, and 156 deaths, an average of 22 deaths per day.

Since March 2020, the county has reported a total of 284,510 cases of the virus including 247,974 confirmed cases (PCR) and 36,536 probable cases (antigen). There have been 3,149 deaths attributed to the virus; there are currently an estimated 270,643 recoveries leaving 10,718 estimated active cases in the county.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County Public Health added another 16 COVID-19 deaths Monday along with 85 new cases of the virus. TCPH told NBC 5 Monday they received a low number of cases from a source and they expect the number of new cases to go back up.

In the last seven days, the county has announced 2,747 new and probable cases of the virus, an average of 392 per day, and 138 deaths, an average of 16 deaths per day.

Since March 2020, the county has reported a total of 245,385 cases of the virus including 208,164 confirmed cases (PCR) and 37,221 probable cases (antigen). There have been 3,021 deaths attributed to the virus; there are currently an estimated 232,028 recoveries leaving 10,336 estimated active cases in the county.

Denton County

Denton County Public Health reports an additional 620 new cases of COVID-19 Monday with no new deaths. The county does not report updated numbers on Sunday, so the numbers reported Monday cover two days. Of the new cases reported, DCPH confirmed 586 are active while 34 have already cleared recovery protocol.

Since March 2020, Denton County has reported a total of 67,776 cases of the virus including 50,862 confirmed cases (PCR) and 16,914 probable cases (antigen). There have been 425 deaths attributed to the virus; there are currently an estimated 56,174 recoveries leaving 11,117 estimated active cases in the county.

Collin County

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports 161 new cases of COVID-19 Monday including 134 confirmed (PCR) new cases and 27 probable (antigen) cases. The state also added 402 recoveries.

Since March 2020, the DSHS has reported a total of 84,151 cases of the virus in Collin County including 70,524 confirmed cases (PCR) and 13,627 probable cases (antigen). There have been 749 deaths attributed to the virus; there are currently an estimated 82,745 recoveries leaving 657 estimated active cases in the county.

Over the weekend, the state added more than 13,000 estimated recoveries to Collin County's total, greatly reducing the number of estimated active cases. The estimated active number of cases reported above differs from the DSHS number; the DSHS said they calculate the number without taking deaths into consideration and by considering cases reported in the last two weeks. The number of active cases we're reporting (657) is calculated by taking the number of cases reported by the DSHS and subtracting the number of deaths and estimated recoveries also reported by the DSHS.

Want to Get on a Vaccine Waitlist?

County health departments have launched waitlists for adults 16 years old and over.

You can register to recieve the vaccination in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. Links are below:

Waitlist Links: Collin - Search Waitlist | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant

You do not need to be a resident of the county to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county -- registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County is also taking registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.

For a more detailed breakdown of who is included in each priority group in Texas, see this page from the Texas DSHS.

COVID-19 Vaccines

In Texas, the COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to anyone over the age of 5. The vaccines are still not approved for children younger than 5 however -- those trials are ongoing.

Once vaccinated, people who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. For those who receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- there is only one shot needed.

As of Jan. 3, 2022, it is also recommended those who are age 12 and up and who have been fully vaccinated receive a booster as early as five months after their last dose, for a total of three shots. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is the only U.S. option for children of any age.

As for even younger children, kid-size doses for 5- to 11-year-olds rolled out in November and experts said healthy youngsters should be protected after their second dose for a while. But the FDA also said on Jan. 3, 2022, that if children that young have severely weakened immune systems, they will be allowed a third dose 28 days after their second. That’s the same third-dose timing already recommended for immune-compromised teens and adults.

Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines, in even smaller doses, for children younger than 5.

Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since none of the vaccines offer 100% protection from infection. With that in mind, even if you've been vaccinated it's still a good idea to wear a mask and keep some separation between strangers or those whose vaccination status is unclear.