Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in North Texas in mid-March, NBC 5 has been tracking every new case, death and recovery reported by the local and state health departments.
Data obtained from those reports is represented below in several ways to show how the virus has impacted not only North Texas but the state as a whole. The charts and graphs below show a number of key metrics useful in the battle against the virus including statewide hospitalizations by region, testing data, positivity ratings and R-0 values. For informational purposes, you can use the charts to compare the number of cases in many North Texas cities, where available, and see how those cases have grown over time. Similarly, you can compare the case counts for all of Texas' 254 counties.
What is a TSA and How Do They Affect Shutdowns and Restrictions?
An order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott lays out a red line: When COVID-19 patients make up 15% or more of a hospital region’s capacity for seven straight days, a series of mandatory limits will activate with few exceptions.
The chart below shows the percentage of COVID-19 patients in various TSA regions that are part of North Texas. To learn more about TSAs and how they affect shutdowns, click here.
Texas COVID-19 Positivity Rate, Testing, Hospitalized Patients, R-0 Value
As more testing is done across the state, raw numbers of positive tests will continue to climb. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the positivity rate is one of the metrics they rely on to determine the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus because it will show the daily percentage of those tests that are positive. In early to mid-April, the positivity rate averaged more than 10%. As the rate dropped, Abbott moved forward with his Open Texas plan to allow some businesses in the state to resume operations. Beginning June 23, the rate climbed above 10% -- the threshold Abbott said would be cause for alarm and remained there until early September when it finally dropped back below 10%. The state later added two other positivity indexes, renaming the original metric the Reported Date and adding positivity indexes based on the date the sample was collected and on the date that the lab confirmed the sample as positive.
See Case, Death Counts for North Texas, All 32 Counties
The bar graph below shows a daily breakdown for the cumulative number of new COVID-19 cases for all 32 counties in North Texas. Use the drop-down menu to change the graph to show the daily total of deaths for all 32 counties or to select either deaths or cases for any of the counties. Large spikes or drops in data generally indicate a backlog or data dump.
See Cases, Deaths and Recoveries for Cities in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton Counties
In the chart below, you can see the line of cases, deaths and recoveries since late March. Some notes about the data -- Dallas County data appears to plateau every few days because the county only releases city-level data on Tuesdays and Fridays; Denton County only estimates recoveries county-wide, not by city; Collin County switched to DSHS reporting late in the summer and the state health department does not provide city-level data at all -- so since that time, Collin County's city-by-city numbers have been categorized as "unspecified" instead of being updated by city.
Tracking COVID-19 Cases in North Texas Counties
NBC 5 is tracking the number of COVID-19 related cases, recoveries and deaths in North Texas counties. Choose a county and click on a city or town to see how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting your area.
Cases are cumulative by day and are subject to change, dependent on each county health department's reporting schedule and methodology. Data may be reported county-wide, by city or town, or not at all. Cases, recoveries and death counts in 'unspecified' categories are used as placeholders and reassigned by their respective counties at a later date.
Data: County Health Departments, NBC 5 Staff
Nina Lin/NBC
Compare Cases Across Any Four Texas Counties
Use the graph below to compare cases in North Texas counties. You can also use the map below to explore the North Texas area to see how many confirmed cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in each city. Clicking on on a red circle will show the cases for that area as well as the number of deaths associated with the infection. Data in this map is generally updated several times a day.
Texas COVID-19 Case Trends
NBC 5 is tracking the number of COVID-19 related cases in all Texas counties. Choose up to four counties to see
Cases are cumulative by day and are subject to change, dependent on each county health department's reporting schedule and methodology.
Data for Aug. 1 is unavailable due to the state switching systems on that date.
Data: County Health Departments, NBC 5 Staff
Nina Lin/NBC
*Map locations are approximate, central locations for the city and are not meant to indicate where actual infected people live.
**County totals below include all 32 North Texas counties, not just Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant.
COVID-19 Timeline in North Texas
While 2020 may not be a year many will look back on fondly, we can learn a lot from our shared history. This timeline shows many of the significant milestones related to the pandemic in North Texas that began with the onset of the first case of coronavirus through today.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Across Texas
We have also been gathering data from across the state, to show how the pandemic has spread not only across Dallas-Fort Worth but across the state of Texas as well. That data can also show
White House Reopening Guidelines Leave Room for Interpretation
For states considering lifting quarantine measures, the official guidelines propose either a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases within two weeks or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests.
As shown below, when you compare yesterday’s new case count with that of two weeks ago, the number is often lower, simply because the counts fluctuate. The criteria has been criticized by some for being vague, creating the opportunity for any governor to argue the numbers are favorable enough to start reopening.
Source: The COVID Tracking Project
Credit: Amy O’Kruk/NBC
Coronavirus Deaths in Your City and State — and Across the US
These charts use daily coronavirus death data from Johns Hopkins University to show the seven-day moving average of deaths at the city, state and country level.
The impact of coronavirus varies enormously in the United States from one place to another.
Source: Johns Hopkins University.
Credit: Visuals by Amy O’Kruk/NBC, data analysis by Ron Campbell/NBC
Click on the red circles in the map below to see county-specific information on population, cases per 10,000 residents as well as the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases and the number of deaths. Data in this map is updated once per day.
Case data pulled from a variety of sources including county health departments and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
How Coronavirus Has Grown in Each State — in 1 Chart
New York has quickly become the epicenter of the American coronavirus outbreak. This chart shows the cumulative number of cases per state by number of days since the 10th case.
Source: The COVID Tracking Project
Credit: Amy O’Kruk/NBC
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Worldwide
The data in the map below shows the impact of the virus from a worldwide perspective. Clicking on a circle below will show you the total case count and number of deaths attributed to the virus for each country.
For the latest information, check out the CDC's website, as well as the World Health Organization's site. State and city governments are also sharing phone numbers for local hotlines and other resources. Follow all of our coronavirus coverage here.
Want more info? Check out our Guide to the Coronavirus Pandemic here.
