Ellis County Has 703 Active COVID-19 Cases & 130 COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized
COVID-19 cases continue to rapidly spread as the Delta variant makes itself at home in Texas. Hospitalizations have increased across DFW by 52% over the past two weeks (data per UTSW), deaths are rising and the ICUs are either full or running out of room. UTSW forecasts the current pace of hospitalizations could exceed January surge levels by September in Dallas and Tarrant Counties.
In Trauma Service Area E, COVID-19 patients occupy 17.92% of hospital beds. For ten consecutive days COVID-19 occupancy has been over the previous 15% benchmark set by Governor Abbott in GA-32 signed last year. *Texas is currently wide open with no capacity restrictions or statewide mandates per GA-38*
Today’s Ellis County dashboard shows 23 of 23 ICU beds occupied with COVID-19 patients. With 235 hospital beds in Ellis County, as of today 222 are occupied, 130 of those are COVID-19 patients. Over the past fourteen days Ellis County COVID-19 cases have increased by 78%, and hospitalizations have increased by 87%. In seven days, the number of fatalities has increased by six, for a current total of 335 COVID-19 deaths to date. To date 38.3% of the population of Ellis County is fully vaccinated.
Transmission and cases are expected to continue increasing as school has returned and masks are optional on campuses in Ellis County. UTSW says without a change in our behavior, i.e. social distancing, masks, and avoiding large gatherings conditions will continue to worsen potentially overwhelming our healthcare system.
In Dallas County, DCHHS is reporting 1,040 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 785 confirmed cases and 255 probable cases with four new deaths. Today in Tarrant County they are reporting 1186 new cases and ten additional deaths.
There is some good news to report today, TEA announced Texas school districts must notify teachers, staff and families of all students of a positive COVID-19 case in a classroom.