For the third day in a row, Dallas County coronavirus numbers have exceeded 1,200 cases.
Dallas County health officials reported 1,304 cases, breaking Tuesday’s record of daily reported cases. Official also reported that three more people have died from the virus.
The deaths include a Dallas man in his 60s, who didn’t have underlying health issues; a Dallas man in his 70s, who had underlying high-risk health conditions; and a woman in her 80s, who was a resident at a long-term care facility in Dallas and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
The countywide total now stands at 105,377 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,138 confirmed deaths.
“We are at a very dangerous point in the fight against COVID-19. We are staring down the barrel of the largest spike that we have seen to date in COVID cases,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
He’s warning residents to avoid crowds “to the fullest extent possible” and wear masks.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 10,097 new cases of COVID-19 and 141 additional deaths Wednesday evening.
The seven-day average of new cases is up 112% in the past month across the state of Texas.
For a daily roundup of the latest news from around North Texas and beyond, sign up for the WFAA email newsletter.
Tarrant County reports 9 new deaths, increase in hospitalizations
Nine more people have died and 45 additional patients are hospitalized because of COVID-19, Tarrant County health officials reported Wednesday.
According to the county's dashboard, there are currently 673 patients compared to 628 reported the day prior.
The latest victims to die range from a man in his 50s from White Settlement to a woman from Fort Worth in her 80s. All of them had underlying health conditions, according to health officials.
On Wednesday, 752 new cases were announced. Each day this week, the county has reported 700 or more daily new cases of COVID-19.
Denton reports new record high for cases
Denton County Public Health announced new record highs for both daily COVID-19 cases, and hospitalizations Wednesday.
Health officials reported 294 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 176 are currently active. This increases the countywide total to 18,892 confirmed cases, including 15,194 recoveries.
“We need community members to fully recommit to mask wearing, physical distancing, and making safe decisions to slow the spread within our county. If we want to protect our families, friends, and neighbors, we need to make the right decisions to protect each other now," said DCPH Director Dr. Matt Richardson.
DCPH is hosting a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing center on Friday, Nov. 13 at North Central Texas College Exchange Parking Garage at 319 E. Sycamore St in Denton. Eligible community members must live in Denton County, pre-register by calling 940-349-2585, and have not previously tested positive for COVID-19, officials say. Appointments are available starting at 8 a.m.
Schools at Coppell ISD, HEB ISD move to virtual learning
A school at Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD and two schools at Coppell ISD are moving to all students to virtual learning due to the high number of COVID-19 cases at the schools.
Both districts have been in contact with the health departments in Dallas and Tarrant counties to make the decision.
These mark the fourth and fifth districts this week in North Texas to switch to all online learning due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Texas becomes first state to surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases
Texas has become the first U.S. state with more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases as the nation continues to face a surge of infections.
Figures from Johns Hopkins University early Wednesday show that the nation’s second-most populous state has recorded 1,010,364 coronavirus cases with 19,337 deaths since the pandemic began in early March.
Texas had recently surpassed California, the most populous state, in recording the highest number of positive coronavirus tests.
Health officials in Texas say that cases of the coronavirus are surging in the Laredo and El Paso areas as the borderlands remain a COVID-19 hotbed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.