The Tarrant County Public Health Department confirms 732 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday along with eight new deaths, bringing the county's total number of confirmed and probable cases of the virus to more than 83,000 and more than 800 fatalities.
Of the 732 additional cases reported Tuesday, data from the county health department indicates there are 577 more confirmed cases than the day before and 155 more probable cases.
The latest eight victims of the virus include a woman from Keller in her 90s, a woman from Mansfield in her 90s, a man from Fort Worth in his 80s, a man from Fort Worth in his 70s, a woman from Grand Prairie in her 70s, a man from Hurst in his 60s, a man from Forest Hill in his 50s, a man from Watauga in his 50s. Seven of the individuals had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County began reporting both probable and confirmed cases in August at the request of the state health department. Probable cases, the county said, account for a variety of real-world situations and could highlight cases in the community that may otherwise go unreported. To date, the county has reported 74,194 confirmed cases of the virus and 9,453 probable cases for a total of 83,647 cases.
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The county is also reporting another 418 estimated recoveries, bringing the total number of survivors to 62,507. There are currently an estimated 20,338 active cases in the county, the most of any North Texas county.
Of the county's cases, 71% of those who have died were over the age of 65 even though they only make up 10% of the cases. Those aged 25 to 44 make up the largest percentage of people with COVID-19 at 36%.
The health department reports 778 COVID-19 patients are currently occupying hospital beds in the county on Tuesday -- about 16% of capacity and a drop of 14 compared to Monday. TCPH data shows 737 ventilators on hand with 478 being available; of the 259 in use it's not clear how many are in use by COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen to record levels in North Texas with the Texas Department of State Health Services reporting Monday 2,143 hospitalizations on Sunday. Statewide, the DSHS said there are more than 7,400 Texans hospitalized with the virus.
The DFW Hospital Council's number for Tuesday is a little higher at 2,264 patients. COVID-19 patients in DFW represent 14.48% of available beds and 33.5% of ICU patients, according to the council.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley spoke with NBC 5 on Monday and said they've long been concerned about the spread of the virus over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Both spoke with NBC 5 in a special interview to share their concerns.
With 802 deaths now attributed to the virus, COVID-19 is now projected to be the third-leading killer of Tarrant County residents behind cancer and heart disease and is expected to surpass the annual total for stroke later this year.
COVID-19 causes a respiratory illness with cough, fever and shortness of breath and may lead to bronchitis, severe pneumonia or even death. For more information go to coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call the Tarrant County Public Health information line, 817-248-6299, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
