This story will be updated throughout the day as new information is released.
Dallas County had its deadliest week since the start of the pandemic with 183 deaths, Judge Clay Jenkins said Saturday.
The county also reported 1,407 additional cases and 20 deaths on Saturday.
Jenkins said that January and February "will be our darkest months."
"But if we make good choices to avoid crowds, forgo get-togethers, wear a mask, maintain distance and wash our hands frequently... we will see better numbers in March and each proceeding month," Jenkins said.
The latest UT Southwestern model says that COVID-19 hospitalizations are still high, but continue to decline compared to mid-January.
"ICU bed occupancy remains high across the region, continuing to place increased stress on the collective capacity of regional health systems," the report says. "As we saw in July, ICU bed occupancy rises much faster than it falls."
In Dallas County, there have been 226,452 confirmed cases, 30,448 probable cases and 2,179 deaths since tracking began in March 2020.
Saturday's reported deaths include:
- A Garland woman in her 40’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Cedar Hill man in his 40’s who had been critically ill and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 50’s who had been critically and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 60’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Farmers Branch man in his 60’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 60’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- An Irving woman in her 60’s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 60’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Richardson woman in her 60’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and did not have underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dunvancille woman in her 70’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A DeSoto woman in her 70’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 70’s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 70’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Garland man in his 70’s who died in hospice care and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 70’s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Farmers Branch man in his 70’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 70’s who had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas woman in her 80’s who had been critically ill and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A Dallas man in his 80’s who had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.
- A man in his 90’s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Irving. He had been critically ill and had underlying high risk health conditions.
Dallas extends Saturday hours at convention center drive-thru vaccine site
The City of Dallas has expanded operating hours at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center vaccine hub Saturday to make sure it gets through all 5,000 doses.
The drive-thru site will now be operating from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the day, officials said. The hub had been open for 10 hours each day earlier this week.
Officials said because nearly 2,000 appointments were canceled due to a shareable invite link, the city made the decision to extend hours for Saturday.
The city turned away approximately 40% of vehicles that showed up the first day because they were not the intended recipients of the appointment link, a spokesperson said.
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State reports nearly 15,000 new cases, 332 new deaths
The state of Texas reported 14,969 new cases of COVID-19 and 332 additional deaths on Saturday.
There have been 2,049,055 cases and 36,320 deaths since the pandemic began.
Out of all the counties in Texas, Dallas County has the second-most deaths with 2,804, Tarrant County has the fifth-most deaths with 2,112 and Collin County has the tenth-most deaths at 573.
Regarding confirmed cases, Dallas County has the second-most confirmed cases with 225,282 cases, Tarrant County has the third-most confirmed cases with 185,478 cases and Collin County has the seventh-most cases with 61,854.
Volunteers needed for Oak Cliff pop-up vaccine registration sites
City officials are asking for the public's help with pop-up registration vaccine sites in Oak Cliff. Officials said volunteers, especially those who speak Spanish, are needed to help people in Dallas’ District 1 register.
Volunteers are needed for the following vaccine registration events:
- Feb. 1: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Supermercado Monterrey, 1120 S Westmoreland Road, Dallas.
- Feb. 2: 2 to 6 p.m., Supermercado Monterrey, 1120 S Westmoreland Road, Dallas.
- Feb. 5: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Savers Cost Plus, 1610 S Westmoreland Road, Dallas.
- Feb. 6: 2 to 6 p.m., Savers Cost Plus, 1610 S Westmoreland Road, Dallas.
- Feb. 6: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Arturo Salazar Elementary School, 1120 S. Ravinia Drive, Dallas.
According to a news release, disposable face masks and hand sanitizer will be provided by Methodist Dallas Medical Center for people who volunteer. The county will also provide laptops. People can volunteer by signing up here.
Dallas County, Councilmember Chad West, Dr. Elba Garcia, Trustee Ben Mackee and neighborhood advocates are all working together for the pop-up initiative.