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Funeral home owner puts COVID-19 deaths into perspective
Dallas and Tarrant counties have both lost a staggering number of lives due to COVID-19. John Beck with Golden Gate Funeral Home talks about how that has affected his business.
DALLAS - Dallas and Tarrant counties both reached a grim milestone this weekend.
Each county now has more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The more than 4,000 deaths in North Texas’ two biggest counties are only a part of the nearly 34,000 deaths in Texas.
Deaths are a lagging indicator of COVID-19 spread, according to health officials.
This past week was the deadliest in Dallas County, with 138 deaths.
RELATED: Dallas County reports its deadliest week from COVID-19, with 138 deaths
John Beckwith is the owner of Golden Gate Funeral Home, and owns funeral homes in both counties.
Beckwith said, last year, they did 300 coronavirus related funerals, and so far this year, they are doing about six funerals a week.
"COVID has hit home. I've buried a family member, a close family member, as well as an employee who passed from COVID, so it is very personal," he explained. "We have had double services, where a mother and father both has passed away, and I have buried three sisters within three months apart, so this disease is very contagious."
Models show hospital patients and cases appear to be plateauing, but deaths are a lagging indicator, so there is no word on when we will see the number of deaths reduce.