Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 20 deaths and 480 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, today, Oct 16.  The county has reported 1,079 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 88,834.

The county is also reporting a total of 4,494 probable cases and 13 probable deaths.

The total new cases today include 235 from Texas Department of State Health Services for October.

The deaths being reported in Dallas County are:

A man in his 20’s who was a resident of the City of Carrollton. He was found deceased at home and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 40’s who was a resident of the City of Irving. He expired in area hospital ED and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 40’s who was a resident of the City of Grand Prairie. 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 Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He expired in an area hospital ED and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 70’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Seagoville. He had been critically ill in an area hospital.

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 did not have 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 woman in her 70’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. 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 DeSoto. 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 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 expired in the facility.

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 80’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 80’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 80’s who was a resident of the City of Rowlett. He had been hospitalized and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 80’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. She expired in the facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 80’s who was a resident of the City of Irving. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 90’s who was a resident of the City of Garland. He had been hospitalized and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse reported three new COVID-19 cases all from Dallas County and all female. Cases 367, 368 and 369 are a 32-year-old, 17-year-old and 35-year-old.

The provisional 7-day average daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 41 was 453, an increase from the previous daily average of 383 for CDC week 40. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 12.6% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 40.

A provisional total of 390 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in school-aged children (5 to 17 years) during CDC week 41 (week ending10/03/2020), an increase of 32% from the previous week for this age group.

Of the cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds (66%) have been under 65 years of age, and over half reported having a chronic health condition. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators in determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. There were 353 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Thursday, October 15. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 493 for the 24-hour period ending on Thursday, October 15, which represents around 18 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.

“Today Dallas County reports 462 confirmed (PCR test) cases and 18 probable (antigen test) cases for a total of 480 new cases. Sadly we report 20 deaths today, including a person in their 20’s and a person in their 40’s. One of the deaths of a person in their 50’s was of a person with no underlying high-risk health conditions. 

We are unfortunately at a place where the numbers are moving against us and that movement is accelerating. It’s up to all of us to exercise personal responsibility. At this point, we know what to do, we just need to do it and do it immediately: wearing our masks, six-foot distance, frequent hand washing and avoiding large crowds. This is not a time to relax as COVID-19 cases increase. It’s a time to renew our efforts at public health and wise decision making.

Our voting system in North Texas was prepared with an even greater surge in cases than we are presently seeing so that we can ensure that you would be safe while voting. To do your part, please vote early and don’t wait until the last few days of voting when lines will be longer. Please don’t wait until Election Day. Please use the tools at www.DallasCountyVotes.org to see what polls are fast in-and-out near you.

As we approach the Halloween holiday with cases increasing, it’s important that families make responsible decisions to do things within the family unit and not come into contact with many people outside their home. Doctors strongly encourage all residents to forgo trick or treating, trunk or treating, and Halloween parties and instead focus on candy hunts, Halloween themed family parties or movie nights, pumpkin carving and other things that can be done with the people that you live with. We must get this under control now or we are in for a rough holiday season and winter when the weather forces more people indoors which increases the chance of COVID-19 spread. We can do this North Texas but it’s up to each and every one of us. You’ve brought the numbers down twice before and you can do it again,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]