‘Increased Deaths Always Follow Increased Infections;' Dallas County Posts Record 40 COVID-19 Deaths

Dallas County is reporting 1,671 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday along with a single-day record 40 deaths, eclipsing the previous high-mark set last July.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the rise in deaths is attributed to the increase in cases since the holidays and that, "increased deaths always follow increased infections."

“Today we report another 1,671 COVID cases and 40 additional deaths, making this the deadliest day thus far in the battle against COVID. These deaths are a result of the high number of COVID cases that have been reported over the last several weeks," Jenkins said.

"The decisions we make today will impact the number of COVID cases reported 10-14 days from now and the number of deaths reported at this time next month," Jenkins said. "It is up to all of us to make the small sacrifices that patriotism requires at this time to keep our community and our country as strong as possible in the battle against COVID."

Of the cases reported Wednesday, the county said 1,397 were confirmed cases and 274 were probable (antigen test) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county from March 2020 to 222,409 and the number of probable (antigen test) cases to 29,638. The total of confirmed and probable cases in the county is now 252,047. Over the last seven reporting days, Dallas County officials have announced 12,364 new confirmed and probable cases of the virus for an average of 1,766 per day.

In their daily report Wednesday, Dallas County officials said there were 1,137 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County through Tuesday, Jan. 26. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 600 for the same time period.

County officials said while they have noticed a slight decrease in the numbers, forecasting for Dallas County actually predict potential increases in hospitalizations. Updated UTSW modeling predicts hospitalization could reach 1,600 by Feb. 5, with cases remaining high at 2,700 per day by the same date. ICU capacity remains heavily strained and hospitals are still operating under surge planning.

"Medical experts continue to predict that January and February will be challenging months for COVID but I continue to hope we’ll turn the corner soon as vaccine production ramps up and is more accessible to our community," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement Tuesday.

County officials report there have been 2,092 deaths in the county attributed to the virus since March 2020. The 40 victims announced Wednesday included people whose ages ranged from their 20s to their 90s.

• A woman in her 20s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She died in hospice and did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 20s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She died in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 30s 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 man in his 40s 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 man in his 50s who was a resident of the City of Duncanville. He was found deceased at home 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 60s who was a resident of the City of Garland. 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 man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Hutchins. He died 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 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 Dallas. She was hospitalized in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Desoto. 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 Mesquite. 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 Dallas. She 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 a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She 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 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 the City of DeSoto. 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 Dallas. She 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 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 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 Sachse. 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 Duncanville. 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 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 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 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 woman in her 70s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. He died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s 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 woman in her 80s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She was hospitalized in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of the City or Duncanville. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Desoto. She died in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of an independent living facility in the City of Dallas. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. He died in the hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s 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 woman in her 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.

COVID-19 VACCINE EFFORTS

In partnership with the state health department, Dallas County opened a large-scale vaccine hub at Fair Park earlier this month where they planned to administer up to 2,000 vaccines per day for those in Phase 1A and 1B. The vaccination center does not accept walk-ups and you must have an appointment to get vaccinated. Register for an appointment at the link below. The county is also planning on providing vaccines at two other locations in the county where they can administer an additional 1,000 vaccines per day.

Jenkins said Wednesday the county has administered 23,794 doses of COVID-19 vaccine at the county's Fair Park vaccine hub since it opened on Jan. 11. With the additional allotment from the State of Texas for Week 7, there are a little more than 4,000 doses remaining for the week.

The judge reiterated that those who have received their first shot of the vaccine do not need to make an appointment for their second dose -- the date of the second appointment, he said, is on the back of the vaccination card received when the first dose was administered.

Jenkins said last week that he hoped President Joe Biden's plan to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days improves the allotments being sent to Texas which would allow more people to be vaccinated more quickly. Biden, on Monday, bumped that goal up to 150 million shots in his first 100 days.

The vaccine is currently only being administered to those who are part of Phase 1A and 1B, as outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Those in Phase 1A are front-line healthcare workers or residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes those who are over the age of 65, or those over the age of 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at risk for severe illness.

Once vaccinated, people are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.

Want to Get on a Vaccine Waitlist?

County health departments have launched waitlists for adults 16 years old and over.

You can register to recieve the vaccination in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. Links are below:

Waitlist Links: Collin - Search Waitlist | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant

You do not need to be a resident of the county to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county -- registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County is also taking registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.

For a more detailed breakdown of who is included in each priority group in Texas, see this page from the Texas DSHS.

Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows where COVID-19 vaccines have been sent around the state. Click on a marker to find out information about each location. Use the "plus" and "minus" signs below to zoom in and out of the map.

From the Texas DSHS: Availability of COVID-19 vaccines lilsted on this map are based on shipping information and reporting to the DSHS directly by facilities. Please contact providers in advance to confirm vaccination location and hours, that they have vaccine on hand and that you are eligible for vaccination at that site. Not all providers are vaccinating the public or people in all priority groups. Vaccine is available at no charge, regardless of insurance status.