Dallas County

Dallas County Reports Record 14 COVID-19 Deaths, 225 New Cases Tuesday

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Dallas County is reporting a record 14 COVID-19-related deaths and 225 new cases Tuesday, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Philip Huang.

Huang made the announcement Tuesday morning at the weekly meeting of the Dallas County Commissioners Court.

The latest victims to die after contracting the virus include:

  • A man in his 40’s who was a resident of Dallas and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A man in his 50’s who was a resident of Grand Prairie and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A woman in her 50’s who was a resident of Grand Prairie and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A man in his 50’s who was a resident of Dallas and was found deceased at home.
  • A man in his 60’s who was a resident of Dallas and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Mesquite and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A man in his 60’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Mesquite and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of Irving and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A man in his 60’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Dallas and had been hospitalized.
  • A man in his 70’s who was a resident of Irving and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A woman in her 70’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Irving and had been hospitalized.
  • A man in his 80’s who was a resident of Duncanville and had been critically ill in an area hospital.
  • A woman in her 90’s who was a resident of Garland and had been hospitalized.
  • A man in his 90’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in Mesquite and died in the facility.

The number of deaths is the largest single-day total posted by the county thus far. The previous high was 10 deaths in a single day, reached three separate times on April 14, April 28 and May 8.

"All this illustrates the importance of you avoiding crowds whenever possible, maintaining a 6-foot distance at all times from people outside your household, wearing a cloth face covering at businesses and on public transportation, as well as practicing good hygiene," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. "As the governor opens more and more businesses, it’s important that each of us focus not on what is legal, but also focus on what is safe and the recommendations of the public health committee."

The new cases bring the county's total number of cases to 7,904 with 191 deaths. The Texas Department of State Health Services was reporting more than 3,200 recoveries in the county so far.

DCHHS said Monday of cases requiring hospitalization who reported employment, over 80% have been critical infrastructure workers, with a broad range of affected occupational sectors, including healthcare, transportation, food and agriculture, public works, finance, communications, clergy, first responders and other essential functions.

Of cases requiring hospitalization, two-thirds have been under 65 years of age, and about half do not have high-risk chronic health conditions. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Prior to Monday, over a third of the deaths reported have been associated with long-term care facilities.

Huang said even with the recent numbers, he believes the county has hit a plateau.

"Initially, had been saying we would see a peak at the end of April, early May, what we’re seeing is sort of a plateau and it hasn’t gone down. That’s one of the things that concerns us," Huang said. "All of the experts nationally, even the president’s plan, said you should see 14 days of declines before opening things up, but we have not seen that, and so we’re monitoring it that, things opening up, and it changes all the modelers when we last met were saying we can only look at this at a two weeks at a time because the situation is changing so much.”

He said they look at the number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths in order to get that analysis.

"Its kind of looking at a puzzle and putting together all the pieces," said Diana Cervantes, an infection disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

Cervantes said it was important to look at the whole picture.

"It’s not uncommon with a virus that is transmitted by these respiratory droplets to see sort of these little waves that happens, that’s very common. You’re going to see them, they’re going to peak every five to six days and that’s in alignment with the incubation period, so the time that it takes someone is exposed from getting signs or symptoms," Cervantes said.

Contact Us