March 26, 2020 – At a little after 8 PM this evening, Ellis County issued this release. The Local Health Authority has confirmed two additional cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County. This increases the countywide total to 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, the COVID-19 Ellis County Confirmed Cases map is showing 11 cases of COVID-19. It appears the additional case is from Ennis.
Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases throughout the state of Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services has notified the County they are overloaded, and will no longer be reporting Persons Under Monitoring (PUM).
The Ellis County “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order is in effect through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 03, 2020, unless extended.
As of today, five inmates at the Dallas County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. For these reasons, we must be vigilant.
For more information and a full outline of the order please visit https://co.ellis.tx.us/2019novelcoronavirus
Todd Little, Ellis County Judge & Emergency Management Director
At the moment we aren’t aware of any testing sites in Ellis County, unless a physician sends you to the hospital or a private lab. There are two drive-thru testing sites in Dallas County. But each site is only able to conduct 250 coronavirus tests per day, and the American Airlines Center continues to reach its limit before noon. Judge Jenkins is working on getting an additional 400 test kits per day for each site.
Criteria for COVID-19 test are now as follows:
* Difficulty breathing
*Cough
* 99.6 + fever at the time of test
Anyone with these symptoms will be able to receive the test.
Locations will open from 8 am-8 pm at:
*2500 Victory Plaza.
*9191 S. Polk St.