The Dallas County Health and Human Services Department announced another 251 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, sending the total number of cases confirmed in the county well over 5,000.
The county also announced the deaths of two more people, a Dallas man in his 60s who had been critically ill in a hospital after being diagnosed with the virus and a Grand Prairie man in his 90s who had been hospitalized.
"Today replaces yesterday as our second-highest single day of new positive COVID-19 cases. Please keep making good decisions, focusing on not what you can do, but what local health authorities are advising that you should do: avoiding unnecessary crowds, keeping a safe 6 foot distance, wearing your cloth face covering when on public transportation or in businesses, and practicing good hygiene," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The county is now reporting 5,120 positive cases for the virus, including 2,867 active cases and 2,124 recoveries based on data obtained from the county and state health department.
"Increasingly, it's up to all of us to take personal responsibility and flatten the curve and 'Stay Home, Save Lives.'"
DCHHS said about 79% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 work in critical infrastructure, while 65% of cases that required hospitalization were in people under 65 years old.
More than one-third of Dallas County's 125 coronavirus-related deaths are associated with long-term care facilities, according to DCHHS.
Tracking COVID-19 Cases in North Texas Counties
NBC 5 is tracking the number of COVID-19 related cases, recoveries and deaths in North Texas counties. Choose a county and click on a city or town to see how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting your area.
Cases are cumulative by day and are subject to change, dependent on each county health department's reporting schedule and methodology. Data may be reported county-wide, by city or town, or not at all. Cases, recoveries and death counts in 'unspecified' categories are used as placeholders and reassigned by their respective counties at a later date.
Data: County Health Departments, NBC 5 Staff
Nina Lin/NBC
