Federal, state help arriving for North Texas hospitals treating COVID-19 patients

DALLAS - North Texas hospitals will be getting more help this week as they continue to deal with the surge in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

More than 10,000 people with coronavirus were being treated in Texas hospitals as of Sunday and nearly 1,900 of those hospitalizations are in the DFW area -- a new record. More than 600 of those hospitalized in DFW are in the ICU, which is also a record.

Parkland is one of multiple hospitals across Texas that will get workforce assistance from the federal government.

“Parkland is the one that is seeing the most, that could quickly change, but right now that is what we are seeing,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. “We know it’s a self-contained team, it has doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, administrative and logistics people. As for how many get here [Monday] we do not know.”

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The extra help is needed, health officials said.

“Our healthcare heroes are fatigued,” said Stephen Love, DFW Hospital Council. “They've been working at this COVID-19 for four months, that's why all of us have a personal responsibility to stop the spread.”

Love said workforce assistance would also be coming from the state to North Texas.

“Gov. Abbott and his team have looked at some temporary contracts where different agencies they contracted with throughout the state to give temporary relief, so those are welcome,” Love said.

A Dallas Morning News - UT Tyler poll released Sunday showed 63 percent of people strongly disagree or disagree that the coronavirus outbreak in Texas is under control. Texans are also souring on the governor, with 48 percent of people agreeing with how Abbott is handling the pandemic.

This past week was the most deaths in Dallas County, 54. A third of those deaths were linked to people who lived in nursing homes.

RELATED: Interactive map of Texas COVID-19 cases