Numbers reported Tuesday tied for Dallas County's deadliest day, and marked the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the county since the pandemic began, health officials reported Tuesday.
Ten new deaths and 135 new cases were reported by Dallas County Health and Human Services.
The residents who died range in ages from a 17-year-old in Lancaster to a Dallas man in his 90s who was a long-term care facility resident.
The total positive cases of coronavirus in the county is 3,240, with 94 deaths. About 40% of the deaths are associated with long-term care facilities, the department said.
At an afternoon news conference Tuesday, Dallas County Judge Jenkins said the county has not seen a decline in hospitalizations. He referred to the Center for Disease Control's guidelines for loosening up restrictions, which should use data showing two weeks worth of a decline in case numbers, death tolls and/or hospitalizations before reopening.
"I'm telling you this because it's up to you on what you decide what to do," Jenkins said. "This is our deadliest day and our most active day of new cases."
Businesses are allowed to reopen on Friday, but Jenkins says so far this week, there has been an average of 110 new cases per day.
"That's the highest average we've seen so far," Jenkins said. "... Regardless, on May 1, we will see more businesses open. We'll see more opportunities for asymptomatic people to bump into you. You have to decide, 'what's the best decision for me and my family?'"
Jenkins also said people who are over 65 or have underlying health conditions should continue to avoid leaving their homes and avoid unnecessary trips.
Top updates for Tuesday, April 28:
- Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans for Phase 1 to begin reopening Texas. Retail stores, theaters and malls can reopen Friday with occupancy capacity limited to 25%.
- Museums and libraries can also reopen as long as interactive, hands-on exhibits remain closed.
- Churches can meet in-person, but social distancing is encouraged.
- Some businesses are still not allowed to reopen, including barbershops, salons, gyms and bars.
- The U.S. has reached 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, based on numbers from Johns Hopkins University.
- Many small businesses didn't secure Paycheck Protection Program loans before funding ran out, while large businesses did. Business owners are hoping to get funding in a second round of the program. President Donald Trump is expected to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. CT.
- Forty-one staff and residents at the Paris Healthcare Nursing Home have tested positive for COVID-19, making up the bulk of the cases in Lamar County.
Health officials investigate Dallas sausage company tied to COVID-19 cases
Dallas County health officials are investigating a sausage company that has been connected to cases of COVID-19.
The number or severity of cases related to the company have not been confirmed.
Quality Sausage is not regulated by Dallas County, but the Dallas County Health and Human Services has been in contact with the company, said Lauren Trimble, chief of staff for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The company says they have temporarily paused all operations and are testing all employees.
"During this pause in production, all employees will continue to be paid. We also expect no disruption in supplying products to our customers at this time, based on current inventory," the company said in a statement, in part. "According to both the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food."
17-year-old Lancaster student dies of COVID-19
A rising senior at Lancaster High School has died due to complications related to COVID-19, the school said in a statement Tuesday.
"Jameela Dirrean-Emoni Barber was a well-rounded student as she was an active member of JROTC and a National Honor Society inductee with aspirations of attending college," the district said. "Her diligent efforts were recognized in all that she pursued. Her positivity and campus involvement led her to be well-known and liked among both peers and teachers, leaving a void across the district and community."
The district encourages parents to speak to their child and said counselors are available.
177 Dallas County inmates and 47 Tarrant County inmates test positive
As of noon Tuesday, 177 inmates and 15 jail staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
In Tarrant County, 47 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, who are currently in quarantine. None are in the hospital, but are being cared for by John Peter Smith medical staff, a Tarrant County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported Monday that 325 TDCJ employees, staff or contractors have tested positive for COVID-19 and 909 offenders have tested positive.
Four employees and 10 offenders are believed to have died as a result of COVID-19. There are now 34 employees and 97 offenders who have medically recovered. There are an additional 12 deaths that are under investigation and pending preliminary autopsy results, the department said.
102-year-old Plano man is 19th death in Collin County due to COVID-19
A 102-year-old man who had underlying health conditions tested positive for coronavirus. He died at the Life Care Center of Plano this morning.
Collin County Health Care Services has reported 676 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 463 people have recovered.
69 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Tarrant County
Tarrant County Health Department reported 69 new positive cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,088.
There have been 58 deaths in Tarrant County.
Collin County reports 16 new cases
Collin County health officials reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 in Collin County, bringing the total number of cases to 692.
There have been 473 recoveries and 19 deaths.
Denton County reports 13 new cases
Denton County health officials reported 13 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 738.
There have been 358 recoveries and 20 deaths in the county.
Southwest Airlines reports net loss of $94 million
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines posted a net loss of $94 million in this year's first quarter, attributing it mainly to the "sharp decline" in bookings and demand that began in February and a record number of cancellations in March.
This marks the company's first loss since 2011.
As a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act that was passed in March in response to the virus, Southwest will receive about $3.3 billion from the federal government.
Drive-thru food bank scheduled Thursday in Dallas
The North Texas Food Bank is bringing its disaster relief food truck to the University of North Texas Dallas campus for a third time on April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The free, drive-thru service is available to anyone. Attendees must complete an intake form in their car and personnel from the Texas National Guard will be on-site to load a box of shelf-stable food into their trunk.
These safety precautions have been established to limit any physical interaction with those handling and loading the boxes of food, the NTFB said in a statement.
The NTFB truck will be parked in Lot 2 (to the right of the main entrance). UNT Dallas police officers will direct the flow of traffic entering and exiting the UNT Dallas campus.
“We are seeing a dire need for food in our communities during this ongoing public health crisis,” UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said. “It is crucial that we come together to help our students, faculty, staff and neighbors in need. We are grateful for our partnership with the North Texas Food Bank that enables us to serve our communities in a meaningful way.”
Perot Museum, Alamo Drafthouse say they are not reopening Friday
Despite Gov. Abbott's go-ahead for theaters and museums to open with limited capacity on Friday, the Perot Museum in Dallas and Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters both said they will not be reopening Friday.
"The health and well-being of our guests, staff and community is our highest priority," the museum said. "While we support the eventual reopening of certain sectors of the economy – and appreciate that the plan recognizes the unique nature of each institution – the Perot Museum of Nature and Science will not reopen May 1. Our leadership team will thoughtfully consider the ongoing social-distancing mandates and other compliance factors as we determine when to reopen."
Dallas releases hospital capacity numbers
The city of Dallas released the following numbers as reported by the 25 hospitals:
- Total beds: 5,693
- Beds occupied: 3,184
- Total ICU beds: 827
- ICU beds occupied: 526
- Total ventilators: 942
- Ventilators in use: 328
