DALLAS — As of 3:00 pm October 20, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 510 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County for a cumulative total of 90,790 confirmed cases (PCR test), including 1,089 confirmed deaths.
There are 38 additional probable cases (antigen test) to report today for a total of 4,669 probable cases including 13 probable deaths. Of the 472 confirmed cases we are reporting today, 268 came through the Texas Department of State Health Services’ (DSHS) electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) system, and all are from October.
The additional 4 deaths being reported today include the following:
– A man in his 30’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital.
– A man in his 60’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 woman in her 70’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. 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 a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
The provisional 7-day average daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 41 was 482, an increase from the previous daily average of 385 for CDC week 40. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has increased to 11.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 41 (week ending 10/10/20). A provisional total of 406 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in school-aged children (5 to 17 years) during CDC week 41, which is over twice the numbers of children diagnosed in this age group 4 weeks earlier (CDC week ending 9/12/2020).
Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators as part of determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. There were 404 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Monday, October 19.
The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 419 for the 24 hour period ending on Monday, October 19, which represents around 19 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. Increasing hospitalizations continue to be a concern and show the severity of this virus. Individual behavior change is necessary to decrease the severity of this wave. You can find additional information on risk-level monitoring data here.
Additionally, Table 12 below is from the October 20, 2020 Dallas County Health and Human Services 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary. Table 12 is a summary of confirmed and probable cases and deaths over the past five weeks in Dallas County.
“We are seeing a continual increase in the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed by testing each day and by the number of people that are showing up at our hospitals as the numbers in the chart from CDC week 41 indicate. We know what to do to curb the spread of coronavirus: masking and avoiding crowds, six-foot distance and handwashing. We just need to do it.
As we’ve seen before and are about to see again, absent a drastic change in behavior, the numbers go up very rapidly but go down slowly. We do not want to be at a place with a high COVID-19 infection rate when the temperatures turn cold and more people are forced inside so please do your part to flatten the curve,” 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
