This story will be continuously updated on July 6.
Dallas County reported its highest daily case totals on Monday with 1,214 new positive cases.
Six additional deaths were reported, ranging in age from a DeSoto man in his 40s to a Dallas woman in her 100s, according to health officials.
The county now has 27,054 positive cases and 401 deaths since tracking began in March. One-third of the deaths have been associated with long-term care facilities.
Monday marks the fourth day of more than 1,000 cases in the county:
July 3: 1,085 cases and six deaths
July 4: 1,103 cases and two deaths
July 5: 1,062 cases and no new deaths
On Monday, the county also reported the largest increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations with 105 new additional hospitalizations compared to Sunday -- a 16% increase, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said.
Along with the cases and hospitalizations update, Jenkins also shared his letter that he penned to Gov. Greg Abbott, urging him to close bowling alleys, movie theaters, amusement parks, gyms, public pools, sporting arenas, inside restaurant dining, group youth sports, day camps, and other social venues.
Jenkins also wants people to avoid in-person church and faith services.
"If an in-person attendance occurs, all participants should be masked. Strict adherence to minimum 6 foot social distancing between attendee families or individuals," Jenkins wrote in the letter. "Live choirs should not be allowed."
In Abbott's latest executive order he required masks across the state with a few exceptions, including churches and faith-based services.
Top updates for Monday, July 6:
- Some spots are riskier than others to visit during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Texas doctors. Here's how they break it down.
- Taxes will be due on July 15 after the federal government extended the April 15 deadline amid the pandemic.
- Titus County is one of the worst COVID-19 hotspots in Texas, despite its relatively low population density.
2 additional deaths reported in Tarrant County
Tarrant County reported two additional coronavirus-related deaths Monday, according to public health officials.
Health officials said both people who died had underlying health conditions. One was an Arlington resident in her 70s, and the other is a Fort Worth resident in his 80s.
The county did not release daily tallies of new COVID-19 cases during the three-day holiday weekend. On Monday, health officials reported 820 new cases, which accounts for more than one day of positive results.
On Thursday, county health officials reported 473 new cases.
There have been 238 deaths from COVID-19 in the county since tracking began in March, and there have been a total of 14,828 confirmed coronavirus cases in the county.
In Tarrant County, hospitalizations were at 533 patients on Saturday, with 139 hospitalized in ICUs. On Monday, health officials reported 555 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Since the beginning of June, Tarrant County's hospitals have seen an influx of COVID-19 patients as the number of beds occupied by those with the disease has roughly tripled to 14% of total hospital patients and about 9% of total beds
Collin County reports 186 new cases
Collin County health officials reported the death of a 69-year-old man and 186 new coronavirus cases Monday.
The latest coronavirus-related death was a McKinney man who lived in a Plano memory care facility. Health officials said the man died Friday though his death was reported to the county Monday.
There have been 3,707 coronavirus cases tallied in the county since tracking began in March.
The Arbor Hills Memory Care resident was the 47th person to die from COVID-19 in the county, officials said.
Health officials say more than 2,700 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus in Collin County.
Denton County reports 65 additional cases
Denton County Public Health reported 65 additional positive cases in the count Monday, bringing the countywide total to 3,403 since tracking began in March.
There have been 37 deaths in the county.
Coronavirus hospitalizations remain high
Cases and hospitalizations have continued to surge across Texas for several weeks, hitting new highs almost every day.
In Dallas County, the past three days have seen new cases counts at over 1,000 people, double what it had been just a week before.
Nearly 3,000 people have been hospitalized in Dallas with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and there were 640 COVID-19 patients in local hospitals as of Friday, according to the latest information from officials.
The number of COVID-19 patients treated in a hospital doubled in June.
The number of statewide hospitalizations jumped by nearly 300 COVID-19 patients Sunday. There are now about 8,181 people who are currently in Texas hospitals with the disease.
North Texas accounts for nearly 20% of those patients, with around 1,562 people currently hospitalized in the region.
The region around Houston, however, had about 2,442 COVID-19 patients in local hospitals Sunday, the highest number of any region in the state. At the same time, the region is running out of ICU beds, with around 139 currently available, according to state data.
The rise in cases across Texas over the past month has been exponential. June 10 was the first time Texas reported more than 2,000 new cases in a single day.
June 17 was the first time the state had more than 3,000 cases.
By June 20, the state reported more than 4,000 cases for the first time.
On June 23, there were more than 5,000 new cases reported across the state.
And by July 1, the statewide numbers jumped past 8,000 daily cases.
A total of 55 Dallas Fire-Rescue employees tested positive for COVID-19
Dallas Fire-Rescue currently has 68 employees who are in quarantine due to on- and off-duty exposure to the novel coronavirus, officials said Monday morning.
A total of 55 employees overall have tested positive for the disease, and 35 of them have recovered, according to officials.
Digital Producer Eline de Bruijn contributed to this report.
Health experts recommend taking the following actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wear a face covering.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Practice "social distancing" and stay at least 6 feet away from others and avoid large public gatherings
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Consult CDC’s travel website for any travel advisories and steps to protect yourself if you plan to travel outside of the U.S.
More on WFAA:
- Quadriplegic patient dies of COVID-19 after Austin hospital, guardian decide against life-saving treatment
- Treasury names 650K small businesses receiving government loans
- White House again rejects national strategy on masks
- New coronavirus testing site in Houston uses saliva, not a nasal swab; hopes to test 2K per day