DALLAS — As of 2:00 pm December 26, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 1,318 positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 1,089 confirmed cases and 229 probable cases. There is a cumulative total of 161,278 confirmed cases (PCR test). There is a cumulative total of 19,528 probable cases (antigen test). A total of 1,554 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness.
The additional deaths being reported today include the following:
- A woman in her 20’s who was a resident of the City of Irving. She expired in an area hospital ED, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50’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 50’s who was a resident of the City of Seagoville. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50’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 50’s who was a resident of the City of Garland. 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 Irving. She 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 Irving. She expired in hospice care, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70’s who was a resident of the City of Rowlett. He had been hospitalized, 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 man in his 80’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Lancaster. He expired in the facility, and had 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 50 was to 1,722, which is a rate of 65.3 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 23.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 50 (week ending 12/12/20). Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,864 healthcare workers and first responders have been reported with COVID-19 in Dallas County.
Over the past 30 days, there have been 4,955 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 764 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 692 staff members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 21 school nurses have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
100 Active Long-Term Facility Outbreaks
There are currently 100 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 2,696 residents and 1,590 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 640 have been hospitalized and 323 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities. Thirty-nine 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 172 cases, including 6 hospitalizations. One facility has reported 93 COVID-19 outbreak cases since October.
There were 989 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Wednesday, December 23. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 602 for the same time-period, which represents around 24 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. These numbers remain near records highs and hospital and public health officials are concerned about additional increases following the holidays.
Given the regional and national surges, the ability to flex or hire additional staff may be more limited. Hospitals are our last defense and they are being stretched. Please take personal responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following public health guidance. Avoid meeting outside your household, avoid indoor settings such as restaurants, bars, and malls, and stay home to the fullest extent possible. #StayHomeStaySafe was critical to our success in the spring and summer and with higher numbers today we must commit to that strategy again.
