Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 23 deaths and a record 1,814 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, Dec 21.  The county reported 1,484 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 156,266.

The county is also reporting a total of 18,274 probable cases.

The additional deaths this weekend include:

A man in his 40’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He was found deceased at home.

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 woman in her 40’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Desoto. She 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 Hutchins. He 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 expired in an area hospital ED and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 60’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She was found deceased at home 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 a long-term care facility in the City of Lancaster. He 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 Grand Prairie. He 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 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 Mesquite. He 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 Coppell. He 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 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 of Dallas. He 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 Farmers Branch. 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 Mesquite. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 80’s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 80’s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He expired in hospice, and had\ underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 80’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 90’s who was a resident of a long term care facility in the City of Dallas. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 90’s who was a resident of the City of Irving. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 90’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. She expired in in the facility and had underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse has reported 986 COVID-19 cases as of Friday, Dec. 18 for both Collin and Dallas County residents of the city. No updates have been released since Friday.

The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 50 was to 1,668, which is a rate of 62.9 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.

The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 remains high, with 19.7% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 50 (week ending 12/12/20).

Over the past 30 days, there have been 6,050 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from 780 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 686 staff members. Of these cases, 603 have been associated with extracurricular activities, including athletics.

There are currently 99 active long-term care facility outbreaks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 2,696 residents and 1,550 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 631 have been hospitalized and 318 have died. About 22% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities.

Thirty-nine 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 163 cases, including 6 hospitalizations. One facility has reported 89 COVID-19 outbreak 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.

“As we begin this week of Christmas, today we report 1,814 new cases, 23 new deaths, and for the first time a 1,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19. It is more important now than ever that we follow the doctors’ advice to avoid crowds, forego in-person celebrations with people outside of those we live with, and wear our masks whenever we are in an indoor setting outside the home or in our home if non household members are present. By doing these things and planning ahead to take advantage of online, curbside and delivery options, we can hopefully give our healthcare heroes the capacity they need to help those who are sick in this time of unprecedented spread. Stopping this current surge, which will continue to weaken our community and our country, is imperative. 

Now is the time for gratitude and I am thankful for all of you and the courage you have shown during this year in dealing with this deadly pandemic.  

It is the time to renew our strength and continue to find the courage to make the small sacrifices necessary to keep our community and country as strong as possible until the vaccine can be administered to the vast majority of everyone and do its job,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]