Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, is urging people to take precautions to stop rising COVID-19 case numbers and avoid a very difficult winter ahead. NBCLX’s Clark Fouraker breaks down Dr. Fauci’s grim warning and his advice to prevent outbreaks.
Health officials in Dallas County reported 719 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday along with the death of a Dallas woman in her 60s.
The woman had been critically ill at an area hospital and had underlying health conditions, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services.
The provisional 7-day average for new confirmed and probable cases for CDC week 43 has increased to 733 per day, the highest daily average since July. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the number of known school-aged children with COVID-19 doubled over the last three weeks to 693 cases and he cautioned that if people don't take steps to curb the spread of the virus, medical models indicate the county will once again see new cases numbers over 1,000 per day by Thanksgiving.
According to data from the state health department, hospitalizations in Texas Tuesday are nearly 6,000.
Of the 719 cases reported, 598 were confirmed and 121 were probable, according to DCHSS. Officials said 320 of the cases came from the Texas Department of State Health Services electronic laboratory reporting system, all of which are from October.
The county has now accumulated 98,473 confirmed cases of the virus since testing began in March. The county said there have been 1,120 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.
COVID-19 TRACKING AND TESTING
"We know what we need to do to curve the spread of this virus, we just need to summon the community resolve to do it. Increasingly we are seeing cases come from home gatherings and it’s very important to wear a mask and engage in social distancing. Avoid gatherings of people outside your home and find other ways to stay close. Together we can flatten the curve, decrease the number of COVID-19 cases, strengthen our economy, and protect our residents, schools, and businesses,” Jenkins said in a statement.
