Dallas County Reports 1,993 COVID-19 Cases, 17 More Deaths Thursday

Dallas County is reporting 1,993 COVID-19 cases Thursday along with 17 more deaths and roughly two dozen ICU beds available in the entire county.

The county also reported 1,204 COVID-19 patients who were in county hospitals through Wednesday night. They also reported 564 ER visits Wednesday for people with COVID-19 symptoms.

"We continue to remain very concerned about the impact COVID is having on our hospital systems and healthcare heroes," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. "With only 20 adult ICU beds available in Dallas County, and the prediction of a tough January and February ahead, it's critical that you follow the advice of the local doctors."

Of the cases reported Thursday, the county said 1,796 were confirmed cases and 197 were probable (antigen test) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county from March 2020 to 201,744 and the number of probable (antigen test) cases to 25,878. The total of confirmed and probable cases in the county is now at 227,622. Over the last seven days, Dallas County officials have reported 18,230 new confirmed and probable cases of the virus for an average of 2,604 per day.

County officials said Thursday there have been 1,829 deaths in the county attributed to the virus since March 2020. The 17 victims announced Thursday included a woman in her 30s to several individuals in their 90s.

• A woman in her 30s 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 50s who was a resident of the City of Garland. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 50s was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 50s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 50s 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 man in his 50s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s 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 man in his 60s 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 man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Garland. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of the City of Addison. She had been hospitalized in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Garland. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of the City of Highland Park. He expired in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of the City of Desoto. She had been hospitalized and did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. He had been hospitalized in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.

COVID-19 VACCINE EFFORTS

In partnership with the state health department, Dallas County opened a large-scale vaccine hub at Fair Park on Monday where they planned to administer up to 2,000 vaccines per day for those in Phase 1A and 1B. The vaccination center normally does not accept walk-ups, though they will on Friday for those 75 and up. After that, you must have an appointment to get vaccinated. Register for an appointment at the link below. The county is also planning on providing vaccines at two other locations in the county where they can administer an additional 1,000 vaccines per day.

Want to Get on a Vaccine Waitlist?

County health departments have launched waitlists for adults 16 years old and over.

You can register to recieve the vaccination in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. Links are below:

Waitlist Links: Collin - Search Waitlist | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant

You do not need to be a resident of the county to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county -- registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County is also taking registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.

For a more detailed breakdown of who is included in each priority group in Texas, see this page from the Texas DSHS.

The vaccine is currently only being administered to those who are part of Phase 1A and 1B, as outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Those in Phase 1A are front-line healthcare workers or residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes those who are over the age of 65, or those over the age of 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at risk for severe illness.

Once vaccinated, people are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.