As of 4:00 pm, May 19, 2021, Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting 160 additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Dallas County, 107 confirmed cases, and 53 probable cases. There is a cumulative total of 259,821 confirmed cases (PCR test). There is a cumulative total of 42,329 probable cases (antigen test). A total of 4,005 Dallas County residents have lost their lives due to COVID-19 illness.
Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) is providing initial vaccinations to those most at risk of exposure to COVID-19 and over 469,000 total doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered at the Fair Park mega-vaccine clinic, which started operations on Monday, January 11. Vaccine operations for both first and second doses at Fair Park resumed on Wednesday with extended hours from 8 am - 8 pm.
The additional deaths being reported today include the following:
- A woman in her 40's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She was found deceased at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 50's who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He expired in an area hospital ED 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 man in his 60's who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He was found deceased at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He expired in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 70's who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He 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 Addison. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 90's who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She expired in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
One death reported today was of a person who received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine but had underlying high-risk health conditions. Six additional cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have been reported, including four P.1 cases and two B.1.617.2 cases; three of these new cases were under 12 years of age. To date, a total of 87 cases with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have been identified in residents of Dallas County, including 69 cases of variant B.1.1.7; seven B.1.429 variants; two B.1.526 variants; six P.1 variants; one P.2 variant, and two B.1.617.2 cases. Five have been hospitalized with 3 requiring intensive care unit admission, and one has died. Eight had history of recent domestic travel outside of Texas. One case of B.1.1.7 is a likely instance of reinfection with COVID-19, occurring over 6 months after an initial PCR-confirmed infection. The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 18 was 186, which is a rate of 7.1 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. Over the past 2 weeks, rates of new COVID-19 diagnoses in Cedar Hill, Coppell, and Seagoville have been more than 50% higher than countywide case rates. Rates of new COVID-19 diagnoses in Balch Springs, DeSoto, Mesquite, and Rowlett have been 30% higher than county-wide case rates. Of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals in week 18 (week ending 5/8/21), 7.9% of respiratory specimens tested positive SARS-CoV-2.
There are currently 29 active long-term care facility outbreaks. A cumulative total of 4,380 residents and 2,471 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 1,101 have been hospitalized and 786 have died. About 20% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities. Ten outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days. A cumulative total of 621 residents and 223 staff members in congregate-living facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
There are currently 31 active long-term care facility outbreaks. A cumulative total of 4,372 residents and 2,462 healthcare workers in long-term facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 1,090 have been hospitalized and 777 have died. About 20% of all deaths reported to date have been associated with long-term care facilities. Ten outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days. A cumulative total of 621 residents and 223 staff members in congregate-living facilities in Dallas have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
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. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with more detailed summary reports updated Tuesday and Friday evenings, available at https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/2019-novel-coronavirus/daily-updates.php.
Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators as part of determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. The most recent COVID-19 hospitalization data for Dallas County, as reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council, can be found at www.dallascounty.org/covid-19 under "Monitoring Data," and is updated regularly. This data includes information on the total available ICU beds, suspected and confirmed COVID-19 ER visits in the last 24 hours, confirmed COVID-19 inpatients, and COVID-19 deaths by actual date of death. The most recent forecasting from UTSW can be found here.