Dallas County Reports 323 New Positive 2019 Novel Coronavirus Cases-September 02

From City of Coppell:

As of 3:00 pm September 2, 2020, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 358 additional confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total confirmed case count in Dallas County to 72,610, including 926 confirmed deaths. The total number of probable cases in Dallas County is 3,025, including 10 probable deaths from COVID-19. Of the 358 new cases we are reporting today, 207 came through the Texas Department of State Health Services' (DSHS) electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) system and 35 were from months prior to August. Please see a provisional breakdown below of these newly reported cases by date of collection:

The additional 7 deaths, including one probable death, being reported today include the following:

• A man in his 50's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital, and did not have 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 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 woman in her 70's who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and had underlying high risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 70's who was a resident of the City of Lancaster. She had been critically ill in an area hospital, and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
• A man in his 80's who was a resident of the City of Richardson. He 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 the City of DeSoto. She had been hospitalized, and had underlying high risk health conditions.

From August 8th through 21st, 393 school-aged children between 5 to 18 years of age were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Dallas County. About 50% of these cases were high school age. By zip code of residence, 203 (51%) of these children were projected to have been enrolled in Dallas ISD schools

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.

The provisional 7-day average daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 34 was 226. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 continues to decline but remains high, with 11.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 34.

Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 25% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with a more detailed summary report updated Tuesdays and Fridays.

Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators in determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. There were 378 COVID-19 patients in acute care in Dallas County for the period ending on Tuesday, September 1. The number of emergency room visits for COVID-19 like symptoms in Dallas County was 505 in the 24 hour period ending on Tuesday, September 1, which represents around 17 percent of all emergency department visits in the county according to information reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. While these numbers represent a significant decline from record highs in July, the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on our populations and health care systems remains. You can find additional information on risk-level monitoring data here.

"Today we're reporting 323 new COVID-19 cases and 35 old cases from May, June, and July for a total of 358 cases today. According to the Public Health Committee, we have met the criteria to now move from the "Red" high-risk level into the "Orange" moderate-risk level. We had been in the "Red" risk-level since we announced the color-coded risk chart in May, and as we saw record numbers of cases and hospitalizations over the summer.

I know the move to the "Orange" level is because of the hard work of Dallas County residents who have worn their masks, maintained social distances and made sacrifices for the greater good. The Public Health Guidance document that shows what medical experts say you can safely do in the "Orange" level is on our website at www.DallasCountyCOVID.org. With all activities, we should continue to wear our mask, maintain social distancing, and use good hand hygiene. I do want to remind high-risk individuals and those over the age of 65 to continue to exercise extreme caution in all of their outside activities as the loosened restrictions in "Orange" do not apply to the high-risk group.

Our Public Health Committee is still asking residents to avoid large gatherings of more than 10 people including family events, gyms, movie theaters and other indoor entertainment settings, and team sports. This is especially important to remember as we head into Labor Day weekend and our last big holiday weekend of the summer. We saw a very significant increase in cases and hospitalizations following the Memorial Day holiday. It's taken us three months to recover from that spike. Our numbers can rise very quickly when we let our guard down. If that happens over Labor Day, we will be in the midst of the holiday season where we would like to safely celebrate with our loved ones. We must continue to exercise caution as this is a marathon. I'm confident we can do this and find ways to keep businesses open, get all of our kids back in school, and most importantly, keep more people from getting sick," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

All Dallas County COVID-19 Updates and Information can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/ and all guidance documents can be found here: https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/guidance-health.php

Specific Guidance for the Public:

• Dallas County COVID-19 Related Health Guidance for the Public
• Dallas County Measures for Protecting An Institution's Workforce from COVID-19 Infection: Employer/Employee Guidance
• Dallas County Guidance for Individuals at High-Risk for Severe COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don't live in your household.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others and continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to seek medical care
• Wash your hands often and with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and help young children to do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-base hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces daily using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands. Immediately wash your hands.
• Monitor your health daily. Be alert for symptoms. Take your temperature and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

Additional information is available at the following websites:

• CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• CDC Travel Information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
• DSHS: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
• DCHHS: https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/2019-novel-coronavirus.php

This press release was produced by City of Coppell. The views expressed here are the author’s own.