2,122 New COVID Cases Reported In Dallas County
DALLAS — As of 12:00 pm December 3, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 2,122 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 1,637 confirmed cases and 485 probable cases. There is a cumulative total of 130,830 cases (PCR test), including 1,224 confirmed deaths. There is a cumulative total of 12,909 probable cases (antigen test), including 36 probable deaths.
The additional deaths being reported today include the following:
- 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 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 Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, 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 47 was to 1,347, which is a rate of 51.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has increased, with 17.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 47 (week ending 11/21/20).
Since November 1, there have been 4,907 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from over 704 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 550 staff members. A total of 1,157 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in school-aged children (5 to 17 years) during CDC week 47 — which is 50% more than the number of cases in this age group reported during the highest week of cases during July (Week 28).
Thirteen K-12 schools in Dallas County have initiated temporary closures of their campuses to in-person instruction for this week due to COVID-19 cases. Since November 1, there have been over 134 COVID-19 cases in children and staff reported from 101 separate daycares in Dallas County.
There were 813 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Wednesday, December 2. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 520 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. Our hospitals are seeing record numbers of patients and are concerned about additional increases expected following Thanksgiving gatherings.
Jenkins Says Healthcare Workers Should Receive Vaccine Later This Month
“Today we announced 2122 new COVID infections and three deaths. This is the second highest number of new COVID infections we have seen thus far. It’s a strong reminder that now is the time for shared sacrifice and patriotism in forgoing the few things that doctors tell us are not safe and instead focusing on thankfulness for all the things we still can do in this time of increased spread while looking forward to getting back to our pre-COVID activities after the vaccine has been broadly distributed in the next few months.
I anticipate that we will be giving the vaccine to healthcare workers and the nursing home population later this month and so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. However, we are not there yet and it is imperative that we all do what we can do to get a little bit safer for ourselves, our community and our country until the vaccine can have its effect. Rather than looking at your neighbor and judging them for their perceived shortcomings, each of us should look at ourselves and our sphere of influence and ask what we can do to be just a little bit safer and a little bit less likely to catch, spread, or facilitate the spread of COVID to others.
North Texas, you’ve done it before and you’ll do it now. I have faith in the spirit and the patriotism of the people of North Texas to rise to this challenge. Don’t let the fatigue get you down, but rather renew your strength and protect one another and this country as we go through these holidays focused on the things that we are thankful for and keeping our community and our country strong during this time of high spread,” 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
