Dallas County Health and Human Services reported six deaths and 1,699 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, Dec 14.  The county reported 1,385 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 141,303. Yesterday, Dallas County officials indicated that of all COVID-19 hospitalizations, one-third were in ICU and one-fifth were on ventilators.

The county is also reporting a total of 15,803 probable cases.

The additional deaths today include:

A woman in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Richardson. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in anarea hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in his 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 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 Cedar Hill. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had 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 had underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse has reported 910 COVID-19 cases through today, Dec. 14 for both Collin and Dallas County residents of the city. Dallas County cases include a 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 20, 30, 36, 41, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56 and 60-year-old female and a 5, 6, 8, 15, 15, 27, 28, 35, 44, 46, 47, 49, 51, 53, 65, 69, 69 and 70-year-old male. Collin County cases include a 17, 40, 44, 47, 72 and 73-year-old female and a 1, 21, 31, 39, 40, 42, 42, 46 and 71-year-old male.

The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 49 has increased to 1,560, which is a rate of 56.6 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 21.6% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 49 (week ending 12/5/20).

Over the past 30 days there have been 4,520 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from over 735 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 681 staff members. Of these cases, 534 have been associated with extracurricular activities, including athletics.

There are currently 97 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Over the past 30 days, a total of 928 COVID-19 cases have been reported from these facilities, including 364 staff members. Of these cases 35 have been hospitalized, and 41 have died, including 2 deaths of staff members. Twenty-six outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 166 cases, including 8 hospitalizations. One facility has reported 89 confirmed COVID-19 cases since October.

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 22% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate.

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. Due to weekend reporting, new data will be available Dec. 15.

“Today we report 1,699 new cases and six new deaths. It is an exciting day for America and for Dallas County as the first COVID vaccines are being given today, but remember, as these 1,699 cases and six deaths illustrate, COVID is still with us. Last week was our deadliest week and we are currently at our highest daily average of new COVID cases that we have seen thus far in the pandemic.

It’s important that we use the two ‘vaccines’ that we currently have to keep ourselves protected. Our mask is a ‘vaccine’ we wear on our face. It protects us and those around us from the spread of COVID. The second ‘vaccine’ is our good judgement in following doctors’ advice in taking patriotic actions to plan ahead such as doing our shopping online or through curbside pickup and forgoing those crowds and get-to-gethers with people outside your home. It’s important that we do these things for now until such time as a vaccine can be taken by the broad population and we can end this threat to public health and our nation’s security.

Patriotism dictates now that we all make small sacrifices for the good of the community and the strength of the country until the vaccine is more widely administered. This holiday season, similar to the other holidays in 2020, will look different but need not be less meaningful. As we reflect on this tough year, let’s not forget to exercise intentional thankfulness, thinking of the things that we are thankful for. I’m thankful for you and the courage that you’ve shown and I’m thankful that the vaccine is here and I’m confident in your ability to rise to the challenge as you have done in the past,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]