Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 10 deaths and a record 2,248 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, Dec 18.  The county reported 1,423 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 152,447.

The county is also reporting a total of 17,413 probable cases.

The additional deaths today include:

A woman in her 40’s who was a resident of the City of Irving. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 50’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He died in a facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of the City of Grand Prairie. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Garland. He 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 Mesquite. 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 Grand Prairie. 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 Mesquite. She 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 woman in her 80’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 man in his 90’s who was a resident of the City of Duncanville. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse has reported 16 COVID-19 cases today, Dec. 18 for both Collin and Dallas County residents of the city. Total cases for the city are now 986. Dallas County cases include a 19, 25, 32, 43, 55 and 79-year-old female and a 17, 22, 32, 51 and 60-year-old male. Collin County cases include a 22, 38, 42 and 64-year-old female and a 36-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 1,647, which is a rate of 62.5 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 93 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Over the past 30 days, a total of 848 COVID-19 cases have been reported from these facilities, including 317 staff members. Of these cases 32 have been hospitalized, and 33 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 165 cases, including 6 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. There were 867 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Thursday, December 17. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 482 for the same time-period, which represents around 20 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. Twice this week we’ve now seen record highs for hospitalizations, nearly 30 more than our previous high of 838 two days ago.

“Today marks our second highest total of new COVID positive cases and 10 more deaths to report here in Dallas County. The increasing number of hospitalizations and COVID rate of infection here in North Texas is very concerning and precipitated our press conference today.

It is imperative that we all make smart choices and avoid crowds and get-togethers this holiday season as we are getting to a place where our healthcare system can be compromised by another surge brought about by increased activities at the holidays. We can’t let that happen.

Now is the time for patriotism and to look inward, not at our neighbors to see what they’re doing that we believe is wrong, but at ourselves for what incremental changes in planning ahead we can do to have a meaningful and safe holidays while avoiding increased risk of spread,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]