Health officials in Dallas County on Wednesday reported a single-day high of new COVID-19 cases and 30 more deaths, making this week the county's deadliest on record after just four days.
The 30 fatalities reported Wednesday marked the fourth straight day on which Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 23 or more deaths, and brings the number of fatalities this week to 113.
The deaths reported Wednesday included:
- A man in his 20s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He died in a vacant residence.
- A woman in her 40s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 50s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 50s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He died in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of the city of Grand Prairie. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the city of Balch Springs. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the city of Mesquite. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Grand Prairie. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of the city of Grand Prairie. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Richardson. He died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Cedar Hill. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Garland. He had been hospitalized.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Sunnyvale. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70s who was a resident of the city of Garland. He died in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Dallas. She died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Garland. She died in the facility.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Irving. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Irving. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Grand Prairie. He had been critically ill in an area hospital.
- A man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 100s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Garland. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
Dallas County has reported 1,544 confirmed deaths related to the coronavirus. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities.
"The virus doesn't care it's the holidays and that we are tired and want to spend time with family."
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins
There are 100 active outbreaks at long-term care facilities in Dallas County, according to DCHSS. Since the start of the pandemic, outbreaks at such facilities have led to 640 hospitalizations and 323 deaths in residents and staff members.
Of the 2,512 cases reported Wednesday, 1,835 were confirmed and 677 were probable, which means an antigen test confirmed the result.
The total number of cases is the most the county has reported on a day that did not include a reporting backlog from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Since March, Dallas County Health and Human Services has reported 160,189 confirmed cases and 19,229 probable cases, or those confirmed by antigen tests.
Just 17 ICU beds are remaining in Dallas County, according to W. Stephen Love, president of the DFW Hospital Council. And Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement that new projections from UT-Southwestern Medical Center show the county could reach 2,700 new cases per day and 1,500 hospitalizations by Jan. 5.
"Now is a time for patriotism as we battle a determined and relentless foe that is killing North Texans in record numbers. The virus doesn't care it's the holidays and that we are tired and want to spend time with family," Jenkins said. "We must not give up on the proven ways of keeping ourselves safe and our community strong. I know this holiday is different, as this year has been different, but I am so thankful for the courage the people of North Texas have shown thus far and the spirit of sacrifice and community."
According to DCHHS, over the past 30 days, there have been 4,955 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 764 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 692 staff members.
Dallas County's provisional seven-day average of new cases, which uses the date of the test collection, for Week 50 was 1,722 — a rate of 65.3 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. It is the highest case rate in the county since the pandemic began.
Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Due to the Christmas holiday, Dallas County Health and Human Services will not report COVID-19 Dec. 24-25.
Data reported Saturday, Dec. 26 will include information processed Wednesday, while Sunday's report will include data from Thursday-Saturday.
*Map locations are approximate, central locations for the city and are not meant to indicate where actual infected people live.
