Dallas County reported a record number of positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday for the third straight day, plus seven additional coronavirus-related deaths.
The county added 253 new cases of the new coronavirus, up from 237 Monday and 234 Sunday, to bring the countywide total to 4,623, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services.
The seven newly reported deaths related to COVID-19 bring Dallas County's total to 121.
Three of the people who died were Dallas residents, two lived in Irving, with one each in Richardson and Mesquite.
The seven people ranged in age from their 40s to their 70s. Four died at area hospitals, one in hospice cared, one at a long-term care facility and one at home, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services.
Less than a week after some businesses were allowed to reopen with restrictions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that barbershops and salons could reopen Friday with a similar set of guidelines.
"Now that we have the power to do things that science says aren’t safe in this environment, it is going to be up to us to make those good choices," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Monday after the county's first full weekend with some businesses operating at 25% capacity.
Jenkins said Tuesday he had not seen Abbott's updated order, but that when he received it, health and business professionals would review it and make recommendations specifically for Dallas County.
Several other kinds of businesses are still listed under Phase II of the governor's plan, which is slated for May 18.
Jenkins said the county would soon begin to release more statistics about COVID-19 testing, such as emergency room visits, hospitalizations and ICU admissions, in addition to the number of cases and fatalities.
DCHHS said about 79% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 work in critical infrastruction, while 65% of cases that required hospitalization were in people under 65 years old.
Thirty-six percent of Dallas County's 121 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
