Hospitalizations in Tarrant County slightly decreased Thursday compared to Wednesday, but hospitalizations in Dallas County are back to the numbers that were seen in mid-August, officials said.
Dallas County reported 434 additional positive cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths Thursday.
The county also reported one positive case from August, as provided by the state health department.
The current rise in cases and hospitalizations is being felt at Parkland Health, which has seen three times as many COVID-19 patients now compared to three weeks ago, said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joe Chang.
"We continue to see an increase in the number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases as well as an increase in our hospitalizations," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. "We are back to the mid-August numbers for hospitalizations and that increase is placing a strain on our local hospitals, especially on their staff who have been tirelessly responding to COVID since March."
The deaths included:
- A Garland man in his 50s who had been critically ill at a hospital
- A Mesquite woman in her 70s who had been critically ill at a hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions
- A Dallas man in his 90s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions
The countywide total now stands at 91,664 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,093 confirmed deaths.
The positivity rate for COVID-19 is 11.3% for symptomatic patients who are arriving at hospitals, county officials said.
There were 406 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in school-aged children in Dallas County, ages 5 to 17, during the week ending on Oct. 10. That's twice as many cases for children compared to the week ending on Sept. 12, county officials said.
Tarrant County reports 732 new cases
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Tarrant County slightly decreased from 480 to 472 patients Thursday.
New confirmed coronavirus cases, however, have continued to increase as the week has progressed.
County officials reported 732 new cases Thursday compared to 500 new cases Tuesday. Tarrant County health officials also reported two new COVID-19 deaths.
The victims include a man from Arlington in his 80s and a woman from Fort Worth in her 40s. Both had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County now has 712 confirmed deaths and 49,949 recoveries since tracking began in March.
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Denton County adds 124 cases
Denton County Public Health announced 124 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday, of which 100 are considered active cases. This increases the countywide total to 15,722 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 13,041 recoveries.
DCPH will host a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing center Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Hawaiian Falls, located at 4400 Paige Road in The Colony. If you’re eligible and would like to get tested, pre-register by calling 940-349-2585.
Tarrant County election clerk tests positive for COVID-19
An election clerk at a voting location in Hurst has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the closure of the site, Tarrant County election officials announced Thursday on Twitter.
The lead clerk last worked on Monday at the Brookside Community Center at 1244 Brookside Drive, the Tarrant County elections office said.
The location has been closed and all other poll workers have been quarantined and a replacement team of poll workers is being organized.
Collin County reports 126 new cases, 1 new death
Collin County health officials reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 and one death Thursday.
The county's total case count is now at 17,248 and its total death count from the virus is 174, according to county totals since March.
Everman police officer dies after contracting coronavirus while on duty
An Everman police officer died of COVID-19 Thursday morning after he had been hospitalized for several days, officials confirmed.
Everman Emergency Services posted on Facebook that Officer Alex Arango contracted coronavirus while on duty.
On Oct. 19, the department had stated that Arango was in the ICU battling coronavirus and was placed on a ventilator.