Dallas County on Tuesday added another 1,129 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, along with another 16 deaths attributed to the virus. Meanwhile, provincial officials warn hospitalizations for COVID-19 are in the country at all times, while ICU availability is low.
Health officials said there were 1,018 COVID-19 patients in acute care at Dallas County hospitals as of Monday.
“Our hospital numbers are high at all times and our availability of ICU beds in the region is at a low point,” Dallas judge Clay Jenkins said Tuesday. “Currently, one in four people hospitalized in Dallas County has COVID-19 and about 30% of those hospitalized in the region have COVID-19.”
Jenkins added that the new record high “is not a surprise in terms of modeling. Although these high numbers are predictable, they can also be prevented. Individual behavior change and precautions can reduce the upswing. Hospitals are our last line of defense. And they have no more staff beds to care for our sickest patients. ‘
In Dallas County, only 16 ICU beds remained. Across the region, the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Board reported only 58 in all of its 19 counties.
President and CEO Stephen Love said many hospitals have already put in place training plans by opening additional COVID units.
He said others have the ability to enlarge space once the capacity is met by reusing surgical and recovery spaces.
He said the bigger problem is the number of doctors and nurses available to care for the increase in patients.
“The state has done everything in its power to help us. But with the large volume, staff will be a real problem. ”
“The state has done everything in our power to help us. But with the high volume, staff will be a real problem,” Love said. ‘Our staff, clinical heroes in healthcare, were in March. They are tired. They are tired. They are exhausted. So the more volume you have, the more you will use the current workforce. ‘
Both he and Jenkins encouraged people to stay home this New Year’s Eve, and avoid meetings with anyone outside their household.
“Do not let your guard down. Please let us all work together. And then next year we can celebrate great holidays for the holidays, ‘Love said.
Of the cases reported on Monday, the province said that there were 882 confirmed cases and 247 probable (antigen test) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country of March to 168,782, and the number of probable (antigen test) cases at 20,470. The total number of confirmed and probable cases in the province now stands at 189,252. In the past seven days, Dallas County officials have confirmed 12,346 confirmed and probable cases of the virus.
The 16 youngest victims include an 18-year-old man and a woman in her 60s, both from Garland; a woman in her 50s from Mesquite; a man in his 70s from Richardson; a man in his 70s from Hutchins; a man in his 60s from Carrollton; 10 people from Dallas whose ages ranged from their thirties to their eighties. All of the victims, except the Garland woman, and an 80-year-old woman from Dallas had underlying health risks, including the teenager.
Provincial officials said Tuesday there are 1,596 deaths in the country attributed to the virus. In the summer, dr. Philip Huang, director of health and human services in Dallas, said COVID-19 is the third leading cause of death in the country behind heart disease and cancer.
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The province said the preliminary average of 7 days for newly confirmed and probable cases by the date of a test collection for CDC week 50 was 1,722, representing a rate of 65.3 daily new cases per 100,000 residents.
In the past 30 days, there were 5,971 COVID-19 cases among school-going children and staff reported from more than 756 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 569 staff members. Since the onset of the pandemic, 21 school nurses have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jenkins on Monday issued a warning to those planning traditional gatherings on New Year’s Eve, urging them to reconsider their plans and to take precautions against the spread of the virus.
“To help your health care heroes, please make smart decisions and follow the advice of doctors this New Year’s season. Wear your mask when living with people you do not live with, and avoid crowds and gatherings. We must all think of ways to celebrate the new year that is safe, not only for us, but also for those who will necessarily catch the virus from the people who catch it in the new year, ‘Jenkins said. “It may not be you, but your grandmother or someone otherwise’s grandmother who pays a heavy toll for your decision to hold a traditional New Year’s party. Please help make the small sacrifice of patriotism to keep our community and our country strong until everyone who wants the vaccine can get it and it can get the chance to protect it from the virus. ‘