DALLAS — As of 12:00 pm December 29, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 1,129 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 882 confirmed cases and 247 probable cases.
There is a cumulative total of 168,782 confirmed cases (PCR test). There is a cumulative total of 20,470 probable cases (antigen test). A total of 1,596 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness.
Sixteen additional deaths being reported today include the following:
- An 18 year old male who was a resident of Garland. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying chronic medical conditions.
- A man in his 30’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 40’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 40’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been hospitalized, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 50’s who was a resident of Mesquite. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk conditions.
- A woman in her 50’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas, she expired 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 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 Garland. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60’s who was a resident of Carrollton. He 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 Dallas. He 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 Richardson. He 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 Dallas. He 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 Hutchins. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 70’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been hospitalized, and had high risk underlying 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.
- A woman in her 80’s who was a resident of the city of Dallas, she had been hospitalized, and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
There are currently 102 active long-term care facility outbreaks. This is the highest number of long-term care facilities with active outbreaks reported in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic. This year, a total of 2,954 residents and 1,687 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 665 have been hospitalized and 352 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities.
Forty-two outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 115 cases. One facility has reported 93 COVID-19 outbreak cases since October.
There were 1,018 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Monday, December 28. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 557 for the same time-period, which represents around 25 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.
Unfortunately, this new record high does not come as a surprise based on modeling. While these high numbers are predictable, they are also preventable. Individual behavior change and precautionary actions can lessen the surge.
One In 4 Hospitalized In Dallas County Have COVID
“Today we add an additional 1,129 cases and 16 deaths, ranging in ages from a teenager to individuals in their 80’s. Our hospital numbers are at all-time highs and our availability of ICU beds in the region is at an all-time low. Currently, one in four persons hospitalized in Dallas County has COVID and approximately 30 percent of those hospitalized in the region have COVID.
With the UT Southwestern projections indicating that our numbers of COVID hospitalizations will rise dramatically by January 5, it is imperative that all of us make the small, smart sacrifices to keep ourselves and our community as healthy as possible in this time of high spread. This means avoiding crowds and forgoing New Year’s celebrations with people outside of those that you live with. It is also means that when you are in an indoor setting, in your own home or anyone else’s home, where people who you do not live with are present, masks should be worn.
An important component of staying safe at this time of high spread, and in this holiday season, is to think ahead. Thinking ahead of ways to get our shopping and errands run using curbside, online and delivery options and thinking ahead to ways to have meaningful and fun connections without risking the spread of COVID. Rethink New Year’s celebrations in this time of unprecedented spread by finding an outdoor area to sit with your family and watch fireworks away from others, recreating a festive party atmosphere in your own home for those you live with, or by utilizing online tools to spend your holidays virtually with family outside the home through Zoom or other platforms.
It’s up to all of us flatten the curve so our hospitals do not get into a situation where care is less than optimal for our patient population. I’m proud of the way North Texas has risen to the challenge again and again and I know we will do it with this latest surge,” 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
