Record Number of COVID-19 Cases in Dallas County
DALLAS — As of 12:00 pm November 16, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 1,831 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 1,695 confirmed cases and 136 probable cases. There is a cumulative total of 110,717 cases (PCR test), including 1,143 confirmed deaths. There is a cumulative total of 9,998 probable cases (antigen test), including 20 probable deaths. The additional death being reported today is of a man in his 80’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 45 has increased to 958, which is a rate of 37.4 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 15.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 45 (week ending 11/7/20).
A provisional total of 843 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in school-aged children (5 to 17 years) during CDC week 45, an increase of 37% from the previous week. During this past week, ten K-12 schools in Dallas County have initiated temporary closures of their campuses to in-person instruction due to COVID-19 cases.
Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 24% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with a more detailed summary report updated Tuesdays and Fridays.
Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators in determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. Due to weekend reporting, new data will be available on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.
“Today we reached again another record in COVID positive cases with 1,831. Additionally, there was one death to report. Today’s number marks a doubling of the number that was the daily average for new cases for CDC week 45 which was our most recent CDC week but lags by about seven days. In the last three days, we have seen almost 5,000 cases. This is indicative of the explosive nature of the spike that we are now in and it is imperative to public health and our economy that we stop the in-home get-togethers and trips to restaurants and bars that are largely responsible for this spike.
We know what to do, we just need to do it. While the choice is yours on how you conduct yourself, it is not fair to say that the risk you take is yours and yours alone as the impact of increased exposure for individuals has an impact on others who will become sick or did not participate in the event. For instance, a wedding in Maine that was attended by 55 people and led to a COVID spread, did not kill any wedding guests; however; seven deaths have been attributed to that wedding because sick wedding guests then spread that disease to others who were not as fortunate.
Please do your part by sacrificing your understandable desire to do the things that the doctors tell us are just not safe right now. Focus on doing your duty to protect your family and your community. COVID will not be with us forever and there is good news with vaccines that will be here soon, but it is with us now even though we are tired and wish it were not. It is incumbent on all of us as patriotic Americans and North Texans to do our part to stop the spread of this dangerous disease,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
All Dallas County COVID-19 Updates and Information can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/ and all guidance documents can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/guidance-health.php
Specific Guidance for the Public:
· Dallas County COVID-19 Related Health Guidance for the Public
· Dallas County Guidance for Individuals at High-Risk for Severe COVID-19
