Tarrant County Public Health on Sunday reported 1,736 additional cases of COVID-19 with 36 new deaths.
Data from the county health department indicates that of the additional cases reported Sunday, 1,442 cases are confirmed while the other 294 are probable.
The county reported 36 more deaths Sunday, bringing the total deaths related to the coronavirus in Tarrant County to 2,048. The county exceeded 2,000 deaths on Saturday.
Tarrant County has surpassed Dallas County in total COVID-19 fatalities. Dallas County has reported a total of 2,012 confirmed deaths, as of Saturday.
While the number of coronavirus cases climbs, there is optimism that the county's efforts to vaccinate residents quickly are going well. Hubs and pharmacies in Tarrant County have administered over 100,000 vaccines so far, and more are expected.
“I think it’s easy to say that we will get somewhere around 45,000 to 50,000 doses, first and or second shot doses for people this week,” Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said.
The county has permanent hubs, but officials are working to streamline the process and expedite getting vaccines in arms.
“The drive-thru facilities I saw up in Denton County may be a better way to go in the future," Whitley said. "First off, it allows people to stay in their cars, so for older adults or people who are disabled, they won’t have to be getting in and out of their car or waiting in the weather."
He said the drive-thru vaccinations were something they hoped to offer in the near future as the line for vaccines continues to grow.
“We probably have over 300,000 folks that are on the register waiting to get the vaccine. What we’re saying to folks is just to be patient," Whitley said. "We’re going through those again as rapidly as possible. We are going to get through it. We’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I feel very good about where we are."
The 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 179,074 confirmed cases of the virus and 27,991 probable cases for a total of 207,065 cases.
The county is also reporting another 808 estimated recoveries, bringing the total number of survivors to 150,635.
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.
The Tarrant County Public Health Department confirms hospital ICUs in the county are at 96% capacity as of Saturday.
According to the health department’s COVID-19 dashboard, there are 1,350 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals and that they make up 27% of the ICU patients. The total bed occupancy rate for all hospital beds in the county is now at 89%.
Of the county's cases, 73% of those who have died were over the age of 65. Those aged 25 to 44 make up the largest percentage of people with COVID-19 at 35%.
