Dallas County lowers COVID-19 risk level from red to orange, or ‘extreme caution’

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Friday night that the county’s public health committee had lowered the COVID-19 risk level from red to orange.

The color-coded system, introduced last year to help the public better understand how to safely participate in various activities based on local case numbers, had been set to red or “high risk of transmission” since August when cases and hospital stays increased dramatically due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.

“This does not change orders or requirements, but rather gives some people the opportunity to engage in a wider range of activities that doctors consider safer,” Jenkins said in a written statement.

Jenkins noted that the county saw an increase in COVID-19 cases last Halloween and encouraged people to continue wearing masks in places where social distancing is not possible.

Here’s what the orange tier – “extreme caution” – says about safely participating in various activities:

Below the orange level, fully vaccinated individuals in restaurants and bars should choose outdoor seating and only sit indoors when social distancing and the wearing of masks are enforced. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people should choose to take away or by the roadside as often as possible.

Fully vaccinated individuals should attempt to visit shops, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, religious or funeral services, museums and libraries, salons and gyms that enforce masking, social distancing and crowd control. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals should avoid most indoor venues and wear a mask as often as possible in group situations.

Fully vaccinated individuals may consider small-group gatherings where all other members are also vaccinated, but should mask and socially distance themselves indoors. Partially or unvaccinated people should avoid all indoor features outside the household, but may consider small outdoor events with masking and social distancing.

For individual, team, and youth sports for fully vaccinated individuals, outdoor settings are preferred and people should mask where possible and maintain social distance. Team and youth sports are not recommended for partially or unvaccinated individuals. Routine testing among team members is recommended for both groups.

Approximately 1.3 million people in Dallas County, or 63.4% of the eligible population, were fully vaccinated.

Case numbers have steadily declined in the county and state since peaking in late August. The two-week mean new case in Dallas County was 424 on Thursday, more than 50% less than at the beginning of the month.

During the spike in cases in late summer, Jenkins issued a masking warrant contradicting Governor Greg Abbott’s statewide ban on such mandates. The legal battle over whether Jenkins’ mask order can stand continues. The judges of the 5th Texas Court of Appeals heard oral arguments but did not speak on the matter.

Before the threat level was lowered, Jenkins’ order required masks in shops and other public spaces in Dallas County, though there were no penalties for not following these guidelines.

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