This story will be updated as new information is released.
Texas is reporting a record high 16,864 new COVID-19 cases today plus 3,524 new probable cases along with 266 new deaths.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are also up to 9,628 statewide, and a record-high 2,828 in North Texas, where they’ve gone up 85% since Nov. 1.
Collin and Denton counties have each reported more new cases in the past month than in all of April, May, June, July and August combined.
For Parker County, the past month is more than April through October combined.
Collin County reported 644 new cases Thursday, for a total of 34,821, according to state numbers.
Denton County reported 837 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday and eight deaths. Six of those eight deaths were residents of Brinker Denton SCC in Denton. One was a resident of Providence Village and the other was from Frisco.
Tarrant County reports more than 1,000 hospitalizations for first time
Tarrant County health officials reported more than 1,800 new coronavirus cases and 17 more deaths from the disease, while Dallas County had more 1,300 new cases and 10 additional deaths Thursday.
After reporting a record-high number of new cases Wednesday, the case count in Dallas County dropped below 2,000 to 1,382, including 406 probable cases.
Tarrant County case numbers increased from the previous day, up to 1,825 on Thursday.
All but three of the people who had died in Tarrant County had underlying high risk health conditions. Those who died ranged in age from three men in their 40s to two people in their 90s.
Coronavirus hospitalizations in Tarrant County hit another record high, with more than 1,000 hospitalized for the first time. The county has set records six of the last seven days.
Dallas County health officials said the seven-day average is 1,647 — a rate of 62.5 new cases per 100,000 residents every day. That's the highest daily case rate since the beginning of the pandemic.
The county reported the deaths of 10 people, ranging in age from their 60s to their 90s. All had underlying high-risk health conditions, health officials said.
Three had been residents of long-term care facilities.
Those facilities are near the front of the line to receive the COVID-19 vaccines in Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that more than 200,000 vaccines will be distributed throughout the state this week. He expects about 1 million Texans to be vaccinated by the end of the month.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins urged people to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing while awaiting widespread inoculation.
"Now is a time that we all must make small sacrifices to keep our community and our country strong ... while we await the herd immunity that will come from the vast majority of the population being inoculated," he wrote on Twitter.
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