Tarrant County Public Health is reporting 171 new COVID-19 cases Monday along with the deaths of two more people infected with the virus.
The latest victims include a woman in her 80s and a man in his 70s, both from White Settlement.
Both had underlying health conditions.
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The addition of the latest 171 cases is a big drop from the 444 reported on Sunday. Tarrant County Public Health spokesman Richard Hill said the surge in cases was not tied to a particular outbreak or location.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said he wasn't pleased by Sunday's number, but said Monday's report is more in the range of where the county has recently been.
"I have no explanation for the 444 yesterday, I think that’s the first time that we’ve been doing this that we exceeded Dallas County, but it is what it is, we got to look at this," Whitley said.
He said the numbers were concerning, but his main focus was on hospitalizations. He stressed it's important that people remember the reason why the economy shut down in the first place months ago.
"I again think we have stay focused on the fact that our goal here is to keep the hospitals open," Whitley said.
The county judge said there are currently enough hospital beds, but to keep it that way, he's urging, begging and convincing people to wear masks while out in public.
"I still know there are a lot of folks that say, 'Well I have the right, I don't have the wear the mask,' and I say, 'Yeah, just because you have that right doesn't mean that it's right,' so we're still stressing wear the masks while you're outside, respect others," Whitley said.
He also reminds people to frequently wash their hands and practice social distancing.
Businesses like Yours Truly on Sundance Square in Forth Worth are still trying to recover from the shutdown.
"Sundance Square is a fabulous place to visit, so we count on those visitors and tourists, and so it's slowly happening," said Tammy Pistillo, owner of Yours Truly.
She said they're still trying to recoup the losses from the last several months, but said she's glad for any an all customers who come into her store.
Pistillo said as of Monday she's requiring her employees to wear masks, but it's optional for customers.
“There’s not many of our staff right now, so we’re not masked up all the time, but when customers come in, we put our mask on, we're taking precautions, " Pastillo said.
The store owner said they are constantly sanitizing countertops and frequently washing their hands.
Monday's cases in Tarrant County brings the total number of cases since March to 9,126. Over the last seven days, the county has been averaging 233 cases per day. A week ago, that rolling 7-day average was at 161 cases per day.
The two deaths bring the county's total to 210 fatalities associated with the virus. The county is also reporting 261 new recoveries for a total of 4,421 survivors.
Of the county's cases, 67% 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 38%.
As of Monday, the county reported: 1,861 available hospital beds, the same number available on Friday; 402 available ventilators, 36 fewer than on Friday; of the 4,495 active cases, 268 of those people are hospitalized, five more than on Friday..
