Dallas County Health and Human Services reported eight deaths and 906 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, Dec 4.  The county reported 1,230 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 130,830.

The county is also reporting a total of 13,166 probable cases and 38 probable deaths.

The additional deaths today include:

A woman in her 30’s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 60’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 Dallas. He had been hospitalized 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 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 the City Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 80’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 80’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse reported 17 new COVID-19 positive cases today, bringing their total to 783 positive cases. In Dallas County these include a baby under 12 months, 8, 13, 13, 73, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 87, 88, 91-year-old females and 19, 23 and 52-year-old males. Collin County positive case includes 44-year-old male.

The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 47 has increased to 1,347, which is a rate of 51.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents—the highest case rate in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic. 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 are currently 95 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Over the past 30 days, there have been over 798 COVID-19 cases reported in these facilities, including 309 staff members. This is the highest number of long-term care facilities with active outbreaks reported in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic. Of these cases, 44 have been hospitalized and 27 have died, including 2 deaths of staff members. Twenty-two cases in congregate-living facilities (homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 168 cases, including one facility this past week with 87 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 23% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with a more detailed summary report updated Tuesdays and Fridays.

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 802 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Thursday, December 3. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 509 for the same time period, which represents around 21 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.

“Today we add 906 new COVID positive cases and eight deaths. It’s up to all of us to renew our strength and to flatten the curve, so that less people will get sick and our economy will remain strong for as long as possible until the vaccine can be widely administered.

Now is the time for patriotism. Think of the sacrifices that our forefathers made during World War II and the Cold War to protect America. Whether serving in the military or supporting the effort at home, they did things that were so much more difficult than what we’re being asked to do now. Seeing the vaccine around the corner, we know that it is only a short delay on the get-togethers, trips to bars and restaurants, and in person shopping experiences that the doctors and the facts are making clear to us are just not safe to do now. We know that masks work and that when we avoid crowds, we lessen the chance for COVID spreading, not just to us and to our families, but to others. Remember that if there’s an increase in COVID in your family or your company, that will eventually trickle to a population and a person who is ill equipped to fight the virus even if the course of your sickness is less severe. This is the essence of patriotism: doing things that are not necessarily what we want to do at the moment but are sacrificial to protect not just ourselves but our community and our country.

I know we can do this North Texas, we’ve done it before, we just need to hold on a little bit longer. Remember, don’t focus on your neighbors who have lost their nerve or resolve for doing things that you believe are unsafe. Rather, focus on your own actions and the actions of people you have influence over in your families or workplace, and think of ways to get just a little bit safer which means being around crowds just a little bit less.  Some of the many ways that we can be just a little bit safer include curbside or grocery delivery, forgoing trips to the gym, staying out of restaurants and bars, doing your holiday shopping online or calling ahead to the store, selecting your items and having them bring them out curbside. When we all do those incremental changes in our individual behavior, it can have a big impact on public health, our economy, and the strength of our community and country,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]