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Dallas County reports 197 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 1 death, plus 114 probable cases

“Our numbers remain flat but our progress has stopped,” County Judge Clay Jenkins said.

Dallas County reported 197 more confirmed coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day Monday — 11 of them from previous months — and 114 additional probable cases. One new death was reported.

Labs either report coronavirus cases directly to the county health department or to the state health department, which then relays the information to individual counties. Of confirmed cases reported Monday, Dallas County health officials said 62 came from the state’s reporting system, including one from May, three from June, two from July, five from August and 51 from September. The remaining 135 confirmed cases were reported directly to the county health department.

The latest victim was a Lancaster man in his 90s, who had underlying health problems and had been sick in the hospital.

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County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that people need to continue taking precautions against the virus as its downward trend has stalled.

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“Our numbers remain flat but our progress has stopped and we may begin to see a tick up,” he said.

The newly reported cases bring the county’s total confirmed case count to 81,372. The county’s death toll stands at 1,021.

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The county has also reported 4,038 probable cases, as well as 13 probable COVID-19 deaths. Probable cases and deaths include people who had a positive antigen test (sometimes called rapid tests), had antibodies for the virus, or had COVID-19 symptoms and contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

While other North Texas counties provide estimates for how many people have recovered from the virus, Dallas County officials do not report recoveries, saying it is not a measurement used by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the latest reporting period, Sept. 13 through 19, the county’s seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases was 296, an increase from 240 during the previous week. The figure is calculated by the date of the COVID-19 test collection, according to the county.

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Dallas County doesn’t provide a positivity rate for all COVID-19 tests conducted in the area — county health officials have said they don’t have an accurate count of how many tests are conducted each day — but as of its most recent reporting period, 11.9% of people who showed up at hospitals with COVID-19 symptoms tested positive for the virus. That’s an increase from the previous reporting period, when 10% such patients tested positive.

Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive-care admissions and emergency-room visits as key metrics to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. The county will next report hospitalization data Tuesday.

Across the state, 1,397 more cases and 11 COVID-19 deaths were reported Monday. Texas has reported 739,743 confirmed cases and 15,533 fatalities.

There are 3,201 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 805 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide, based on the date of test specimen collection, dropped to 5.94% as of Sunday. State health officials said using data based on when people were tested will provide the most accurate positivity rate.

The state also provides a positivity rate based on when lab results were reported to the state; that rate stood at 8.66% as of Sunday.

Officials previously calculated Texas' coronavirus positivity rate by dividing the most recent seven days of new positive test results by the most recent seven days of total new test results. By that measure, the positivity rate is 5.69% percent, according to its dashboard.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services said that positivity rate data based on lab results and new cases will likely be phased out but is still being provided for transparency and continuity purposes.

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Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported 240 additional coronavirus cases Monday.

No new deaths were reported, leaving the county’s toll at 653.

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The newly reported cases bring the county’s total to 49,569, including 3,489 probable cases. The countywide recovery total stands at 43,473.

According to the county dashboard, 261 people are hospitalized with the virus.

Collin County

Collin County added 233 coronavirus cases Monday, bringing its total to 13,770.

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The county also reported one new death, raising the toll to 146. No information about the victim was available.

The county has 1,052 active cases, and 12,718 people have recovered from the virus. According to the county dashboard, 95 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Collin County, which receives its data from the Department of State Health Services since turning over case management in June, has a note on its dashboard warning residents that it has low confidence in the numbers the state is providing.

Denton County

Denton County reported 75 coronavirus cases — of which 54 are active — on Monday.

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No new deaths were reported. The county’s death toll stands at 109.

The newly reported cases bring the county’s total to 12,058, including 1,548 that are active and 10,401 patients who have recovered.

Denton County Public Health will offer free drive-through testing Friday at the University of North Texas' Discovery Park, 3940 N. Elm St. in Denton. Those eligible for a test include all county residents who have not previously tested positive for COVID-19.

Preregistration is required by calling 940-349-2585. Appointment times begin at 8 a.m.

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Other counties

The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for these other North Texas counties. For some counties, new data may not be reported every day.

The latest numbers are:

  • Rockwall County: 1,629 cases, 26 deaths.
  • Kaufman County: 3,136 cases, 47 deaths.
  • Ellis County: 4,398 cases, 68 deaths.
  • Johnson County: 3,011 cases, 50 deaths.
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