DALLAS — Dallas County Health and Human Services reports 1,774 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 1,418 confirmed cases and 356 probable cases.
There is a cumulative total of 172,165 confirmed cases (PCR test). There is a cumulative total of 21,153 probable cases (antigen test). A total of 1,628 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness.
“Today we report 1,774 new COVID cases and 17 deaths, 10 of which were from people found in their home or at work. This is due to a group of autopsies completed and reported by our Dallas County Medical Examiner.
Dallas County Currently Vaccinating Phase 1A
There have been a lot of questions around persons over 65 and with underlying conditions, known as category 1B, getting shots and where they get those shots. We are working with the DFW Hospital Council and the Texas Department of State Health Services to streamline the process and make it easier for you to get reliable information about where the shots will be available. Currently, in Dallas County, we are still working through 1A and should be out of our current allocation by the end of today on those healthcare providers and other 1A members. Many of our hospitals likewise are still working through the 1A health providers but as more vaccine comes in, there will be more availability for 1B. We will get you information on these developments in real time as we work to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and as equitably as possible.
Tonight is New Year’s Eve and I hope you have a very safe and happy New Year’s celebration. Please remember doctors’ advice that it is best to celebrate only with the people that you live with and to avoid crowds. It won’t always be like this, and in fact, I believe next New Year’s will be one of large celebrations. But for now, with the lack of space in our hospitals and the unprecedented high spread of COVID, we ask everyone to make those small sacrifices in the spirit of patriotism to keep our community and our country stronger until the vaccine is available for everyone who wants it and sufficient time has passed for the vaccine to be effective in protecting against the virus.
I’m proud of the courage you’ve shown throughout 2020 and it’s been an honor to serve you through this terrible year. May 2021 be a better year for all of us,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
Seventeen additional deaths being reported today includes the following:
- A man in his 40’s who was a resident of the city of Cedar Hill. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 50’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50’s who was a resident of the city of Rowlett. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He was found deceased at work, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of the city of Irving. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He was found deceased at home.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the city of Garland. He had been hospitalized, and had high risk underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of the city of Grand Prairie. She was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He expired in an area hospital ED, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70’s who was a resident of the city of Carrollton. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70’s who was a resident of the city of Irving. He was found deceased at home, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
There were 1,007 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Wednesday, December 30. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 638 for the same time-period, which represents around 22 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. Hospital numbers remain near record highs in the county and continue to rise regionally.
