As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, the reported number of new daily infections is setting new high marks in North Texas and across the state. Here's a look at the latest numbers through Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.
On Wednesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 61,113 confirmed new cases of the virus along with 14,704 probable cases for a total of 75,817 -- which is by far the highest daily total reported by the state health department since the pandemic began.
The state number is likely to be high again Thursday with the following cases being reported by local health departments in North Texas Wednesday. State totals typically lag reporting from local health authorities by a day, so today's county totals will be reported by the state tomorrow.
- Tarrant County -- 9,001 new cases
- Dallas County -- 4133 new cases
- Denton County -- 1,324 new cases
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
The state reports Collin County's numbers and they reported another 2,628 cases on Wednesday.
OMICRON'S EFFECT ON HOSPITALIZATIONS
While omicron is said to be less severe than other variants, the sheer number of omicron infections is driving up hospitalizations across the state.
On Monday, the state reported 10,417 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19. On Wednesday that number had risen by more than 1,000 to 11,571. According to state data, more than 500 of those patients were in DFW where hospitalizations have increased from 3,200 to 3,710 in just three days.
The total number of people hospitalized Wednesday in DFW eclipses the delta wave peak of 3,639 set last summer and is drawing closer to reaching the all-time high of 4,172 COVID patients set on Jan. 7, 2021.
On Jan. 2, the first day of reporting for the new year, there were 6,574 people hospitalized in Texas including 2,016 in DFW.
PEDIATRIC CASES
On Wednesday, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth reported a record 69 pediatric COVID-19 patients and the 7-day rolling average of new pediatric cases at 750.
Last week, the record was set with 51 hospitalizations.
On Jan. 3, Cook Children's reported 26 COVID-19 pediatric patients with a 7-day rolling average of around 350.
SEVERAL DISTRICTS CLOSE SCHOOLS
In Mansfield, six elementary schools are closed Thursday through the MLK holiday due to an increase in cases.
According to district officials, this COVID-19 spike has caused absences and a shortage of substitutes at the Janet Brockett, Louise Cabaniss, Judy Miller, Martha Reid, Tarver Rendon, and Roberta Tipps campuses.
School districts in the rural Boyd and Maypearl ISDs also canceled classes after a surge in new cases in their communities.
