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North Texas seeing a rapid rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations
There is growing concern about the number of COVID-19 cases in North Texas as hospital capacity. Tim Bray tracks the numbers as the director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research at the University of Texas at Dallas. He talks to Good Day about the numbers all going in the wrong direction.
DALLAS - Dallas County is setting some unwanted records when it comes to new COVID-19 cases.
On Monday, the county reported 1,831 new coronavirus cases including 136 probable cases and one death.
The county’s seven-day rolling average of new confirmed and probable cases is now nearly 1,000 cases higher than it was just one week ago.
“Today we reached again another record in COVID positive cases,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. “Today’s number marks a doubling of the number that was the daily average for new cases.”
County health officials also said the number of school children testing positive for COVID-19 is up about 37% over the past week.
At least ten schools have temporarily shut down or returned to virtual learning over the past week.
“In just the last three days, we have seen almost 5,000 cases. This is just indicative of the explosive nature of the spike that we are now in and it is imperative to public health and our economy that we stop the in-home get-togethers and trips to restaurants and bars that are largely responsible for this spike,” Jenkins said.
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Restaurants owners push back on warning about indoor dining
As COVID-19 cases rise, there are new warnings from health departments and political leaders to not dine at restaurants. Emily Knight, the president of the Texas Restaurant Association, responds on behalf of restaurant owners.
Statewide on Sunday, there were more than 6,500 new cases and 89 deaths reported. The percent of positive tests is just over 9%.
El Paso is by far the worst spot in the state and possibly even the country. Hospitals are over capacity and prisoners in full protective gear are helping to move bodies out of the hospitals into refrigerated trucks, then to the morgue for autopsies.
That has caused some community outrage but the county judge called it a last resort until more help from the National Guard arrives.
RELATED: Incarcerated Texans enlisted to work in county morgue as COVID-19 deaths overwhelm El Paso