The county also reported three more deaths from COVID-19
on Monday.
Dana Branham and Tom
Steele 2:49 PM on Aug 3, 2020 — Updated at 4:30 PM on Aug 3, 2020
Updated
at 4:30 p.m.: Revised to include state data
Dallas
County reported 382 coronavirus cases Monday, its lowest daily total in nearly
six weeks.
County
Judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that the continued lower number
of new cases is a sign for optimism, calling it “growing evidence” that wearing
masks and other precautions are working.
“We need
to continue our community resolve to get the coronavirus under control so that
less people get sick, more businesses stay open and our kids can get back to
school sooner rather than later,” he said.
The
county also reported three more deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the
virus.
The
latest victims were a Dallas man in his 70s who lived at a long-term care
facility, an Irving man in his 80s and a Mesquite woman in her 60s.
The
county has now reported a total of 51,490 cases, or about 19.5 for every 1,000
residents. Dallas County’s death toll stands at 691. The county does not report recoveries from the illness.
Across
the state, 5,839 new cases were reported Monday — the fewest in a week, but
also significantly higher than last Monday’s 4,267. The numbers reported
Mondays often are lower because of lags in weekend reporting.
According
to the Texas Department of State Health Services, more than 442,000 Texans have
contracted the coronavirus and 7,016 have died from it.
Hospitalizations
for COVID-19 in Texas rose slightly, to 8,819, with 1,576 patients in Dallas-Fort
Worth area hospitals. Hospitalization numbers for Dallas County weren’t
available Monday because of weekend reporting.
The last
time Dallas County reported fewer new cases than on Monday was June 16, when
there were 306. The county has had 800 or fewer cases in 13 of the last 14
days, following a streak of 18 days with at least 1,000 additional cases.
Jenkins
said that there has been a decrease in people seeking tests at the county’s
facilities, resulting in shorter wait times and faster turnarounds on results.
He said most people are getting results in two to three days.
On
Monday, the county opened its drive-through site at Eastfield College in
Mesquite for residents of the county and the city of Dallas. The site had
previously been at the University of Dallas in Irving.
BY WIRE
SERVICES AND TOM
STEELE
Tarrant County
Tarrant
County officials reported 303 more positive coronavirus cases Monday.
No new
deaths were reported, leaving the county’s toll from the virus at 391.
There
have been 29,357 confirmed cases in Tarrant County, or about 14 for every
thousand residents.
According
to the county’s data, 557 patients remain hospitalized with COVID-19, while
16,882 have recovered.
Collin County
Twenty-two
more coronavirus cases were reported Monday in Collin County.
No new
deaths were reported.
There
have been 6,421 total cases of COVID-19 — 6.2 for every 1,000 residents — and
83 deaths.
The
county says that 148 patients are hospitalized and 4,879 have recovered.
Denton County
A man
older than 80 who lived at a long-term care facility in Carrollton was Denton
County’s 56th person to die due to the coronavirus, officials said Monday.
The
county also reported 94 new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 7,032 —
about 7.9 for every 1,000 residents.
There are
68 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and 3,952 people have recovered from
it, according to the county’s data.
Other counties
A
Rockwall police officer died of coronavirus complications early Monday, the
department said.
Chief Max
Geron said the department was heartbroken over Gaines’ death and called him a
“lifelong servant leader.”
Gaines
most recently worked as a school resource officer at Rockwall High School and
was beloved by students there, Geron said.
“It takes
a special kind of adult to be able to deal with high school kids on a regular
basis,” he said. “And to be so well thought of and held in such high regard by
them is really a testament to the quality person that Tracy was.”
Gaines
also worked as a school resource officer at Williams Middle School and was a
field training officer during his time at the department. Before joining the
Rockwall police, Gaines served in the Air Force.
Detective
Laurie Burks, who has been with the department for 17 years and met Gaines when
they were patrol officers, remembered him as someone who always had a smile on
his face.
“Tracy
was very full of life,” she said.
Gaines
was diagnosed with the virus about a month ago, Burks said. He battled it at
home for about a week before he was hospitalized, she said.
As the
department grieves his death, “it’s going to be one day at a time,” Burks said.
“It’s
crushing,” she said. We wanted to see a miracle, to be honest.”
Gaines is
survived by his wife and two sons, ages 13 and 16, Burks said. Donations to
help Gaines’ family can be made to the Assist the Officer Foundation.
Details
about funeral arrangements weren’t immediately available.
Gaines is
the only Rockwall officer who has contracted COVID-19, Geron said.
Reporting
for several North Texas counties has been taken over by the Texas Department of
State Health Services, and some of those counties may not report updated totals
each day.
The
latest numbers are:
·
Rockwall County: 786 cases, 17 deaths
·
Kaufman County: 1,816 cases, 22 deaths
·
Ellis County: 2,472 cases, 34 deaths
·
Johnson County: 1,541 cases, 25 deaths
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