COVID-19 In DFW Nov. 22-Nov. 28: Uptick in cases in North Texas over the past two weeks
For the latest information on the pandemic in North Texas, visit the KERA News COVID-19 Live Updates page.
Friday November 26th
There has been an increase in cases in North Texas in the past 2 weeks
In counties across North Texas, COVID-19 cases have risen in the past two weeks after a period of declining numbers.
Phillip Huang of Dallas County Health and Human Services said this year has been a whirlwind.
“We learn something new every day and then a wrench is thrown at you like the Delta variant and it was very difficult to predict and we had to be able to be nimble and respond to anything that does new things. “Come,” said Huang.
He said he is watching the virus hit colder places like Colorado and the Northeast as it could predict what will happen to Texas.
Huang is encouraged by his past vaccination involvement as this is the surefire way to protect against COVID-19. More than 1 million people in Dallas County are fully vaccinated.
He said it was important that people view this as a public health issue rather than a political one, especially when people are traveling to see family and friends on vacation.
While Tarrant County’s COVID-19 cases have stabilized, Public Health Director Vinny Taneja prepares for an increase in cases over the next several months.
That was the trend last year, but he says there were also a lot of things he couldn’t predict – like the Delta variant.
“Public health has not been normal in recent years,” said Taneja. “There is no work-life balance. Uh, you know, a lot of people work long hours and work really hard. “
He said he expected a bigger surge in parents getting their children vaccinated once the Pfizer vaccine is approved, but that didn’t happen.
Just over 7% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 in the county received their first dose.
Juan Rodriguez, Denton County’s chief public health epidemiologist, shares some of the same views. He urges people to wear a mask and get vaccinated.
“It’s still here,” said Rodriguez. “We still have cases. We still have increased transmission. And we still do vaccinations. So this is the new normal, we are still seeing surges and still trying to do the routine, regular work that we do all day. “
As cases rise, Rodriguez said it was hard to say if that would mark a big spike like it did last July.
Since seasonal flu like COVID is unpredictable, he said prevention methods like vaccinations and masks help limit the spread of both viruses.
Wednesday November 24th
Children’s Hospitals in North Texas Determine New Baseline for COVID-19 Cases
Children’s hospitals across North Texas are taking stock after a year of unpredictability and stress from the surge in COVID-19 across the state.
Cindy Darnell Bowens. The director of the Dallas Pediatric Children’s Intensive Care Unit says although cases have declined nationwide, it’s hard to figure out what the new starting point is.
“In healthcare, I don’t yet know that we are talking about normality. Everyone is still talking about the new normal, “said Darnell Bowens.” That could be what we call the new normal from now on. “
Health officials expect an increase as the weather gets colder and people go on vacation.
But this year it’s different, as booster vaccinations are more available and children between the ages of 5 and 11 can be vaccinated.
More than 3 million children in this age group were vaccinated with at least one dose across the country.
The Dallas Summer Musicals performance of “Hamilton” has been canceled due to COVID-19 breakthrough cases
Dallas Summer Musicals canceled the performance of Hamilton Tuesday night due to breakthrough cases of COVID-19 discovered at the company, but Wednesday’s show will go on.
The Summer Musicals website states that no other performances are expected to be canceled.
An additional performance has been added for December 5th at 7:30 am.
Ticket holders can exchange their tickets from Tuesday evening or receive a refund if they cannot keep the new show date.
Tuesday, November 23rd
Vacation trips recover
The Dallas Fort Worth and Houston Intercontinental airports are two of the busiest airports in the world. Both, along with the smaller Dallas Love Field, are reporting vacation traffic almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Chris Perry is the spokesperson for Dallas Love Field.
“We closely tracked about 95% of what we did with passengers in 2019,” Perry said. “We are more than twice as many passengers as we were a year ago in Thanksgiving week.”
Perry said he wasn’t worried about slowdowns from the TSA. Meanwhile, the TSA says 93% of its employees were on a COVID-19 vaccination mandate and that the new policy will have no impact on vacation travel.
Parkland Health offers booster vaccinations to people aged 18 and over
Starting Tuesday, Parkland’s healthcare system will offer COVID booster vaccinations to everyone over the age of 18 at their primary health care centers in Dallas County.
Those who have a Parkland Health account and are patients in the healthcare system can make appointments through their online accounts. Individuals who do not have an online account with Parkland can call (214) 590-7000 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to make an appointment.
To receive the booster, patients must have received their second Pfizer or Moderna syringe at least six months ago or the Johnson & Johnson syringe at least two months ago.
Tarrant County’s health authorities are optimistic but cautious
Even if COVID cases continue to decline, Tarrant health officials are still cautious as they headed for Thanksgiving.
There are currently 230 hospital admissions in the county, about eight more than last week.
Health Director Vinny Taneja spoke to the district commissioners on Tuesday.
“I like a one-way trend and it’s falling, but this flattening of cases and all the other indicators seem to be seasonally worrying for me,” he said. “We saw that around this time last year and then the vacation was pretty tough for us.”
Health officials are precisely observing a slight increase in the spread of the virus up to this week.
Currently, the warning level for the spread of the district communities is “significant”, the second highest level.
Monday, November 22nd
Texas vaccine expert encourages all adults to get booster vaccinations
A leading vaccine expert is encouraging all adults to get COVID-19 booster shots after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for anyone 18 years and older on Friday. The CDC quickly endorsed the approval.
Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston says boosters will help prevent breakthrough infections.
“If enough Americans are given three doses, we can even stop the virus from spreading,” Hotez said on MSNBC.
The FDA and CDC recommend a booster dose to people who received the Moderna or Pfizer shots six months after the second dose.
More than 2.4 million people in Texas have received an extra dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state’s Department of Health.
Read more: A Timeline of the Spread of COVID-19 in North Texas
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