Health officials in Dallas County reported 261 additional cases of COVID-19 Monday bringing the countywide total to 73,961.
Of the 261 cases, 177 came from the Texas Department of State Health Services' electronic laboratory reporting system, health officials said.
Thirty-five of the cases from DSHS were of samples collected in August and the other 142 were collected in September, indicating the state's reporting backlog could be clearing up.
Dallas County Health and Human Services did not report any coronavirus-related deaths Monday for the first time since Aug. 24.
The county's seven-day average number of new cases per day dropped to 333, down from 421 last week, while its 14-day average rose by six to 349.
According to DCHHS, 317 school-aged children tested positive for COVID-19 from Aug. 15-28. About 43% of those positive tests were in high school-aged children.
"I hope everyone had a fun and enjoyable Labor Day weekend, and celebrated the holiday responsibly by staying away from people in your family who were unmasked. If we did a good job this weekend, we shouldn't see a big spike in two weeks, and we should continue to see improving numbers on COVID," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement. "Our next challenge is with the opening of schools. And, again, the key for success is for everyone to practice good safety. Masking is the most important component, along with six-foot distancing, handwashing, avoiding unnecessary crowds and avoiding people who are not wearing their masks. If we all continue to work together for the good of the community, we'll see less sickness and death, more businesses and jobs thrive, and more kids in school."
The county has now accumulated 73,961 cases of the virus since testing began in March. With an estimated 64,332 recoveries being reported by the state through Monday, there are also an estimated 8,113 active cases in Dallas County.
There have been 945 confirmed deaths attributed in the county to the virus, which, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Philip Huang, is now the third leading cause of death in the county behind diseases of the heart and cancers. Since March 20, the date of the first reported COVID-19 related death in Dallas County, the county has averaged 5.5 deaths per day.
