Dallas County Adds 35 More COVID-19 Deaths Thursday, On Pace to Top ‘Deadliest Week'

Dallas County is reporting 1,149 new COVID-19 cases Thursday along with another 35 reported deaths from the virus. With the latest fatalities, the county has reported 226 deaths in the last seven days, an average of 32 per day.

“Today we report an additional 35 deaths, leaving us seven deaths short of the weekly record number we posted last week with two days to go,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

"Here in North Texas, we continue to vaccinate tens of thousands of people a day but vaccine alone will not win the battle against COVID. We must use all the tools at our disposal. This includes wearing your mask, washing your hands, maintaining a safe distance, avoiding crowds, and forgoing get-togethers," Jenkins said. "The decisions we make today will have a big impact on the number of new cases ten days to two weeks from now and the number of deaths a month from now."

Want to Get on a Vaccine Waitlist?

County health departments have launched waitlists for adults 16 years old and over.

You can register to recieve the vaccination in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. Links are below:

Waitlist Links: Collin - Search Waitlist | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant

You do not need to be a resident of the county to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county -- registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County is also taking registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.

For a more detailed breakdown of who is included in each priority group in Texas, see this page from the Texas DSHS.

Of the cases reported Thursday, the county said 789 were confirmed cases and 360 were probable (antigen test) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county from March 2020 to 232,200 and the number of probable (antigen test) cases to 31,687. The total of confirmed and probable cases in the county is now 263,887. Over the last seven reporting days, Dallas County officials have announced 10,203 new confirmed and probable cases of the virus for an average of 1,458 per day.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been trending downward for more than two weeks. Last Friday, Jan. 29, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Dallas County dropped below 1,000 -- the number reported Thursday was 901 patients through Wednesday.

With the 35 deaths added Thursday, there have now been 2,355 deaths in the county attributed to the virus since March 2020. The latest victims announced included people whose ages ranged from their 40s to their 90s.

• A man in his 40s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 40s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He died in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 40s who was a resident of the City of Lancaster. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 50s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. She had been critically ill and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She died at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Cedar Hill. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the city of Carrollton. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He died at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 60s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been hospitalized.
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Dallas. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Garland. He was found deceased at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Carrollton. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Desoto. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Garland. He had been hospitalized.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Garland. He had been hospitalized and did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 70s who was a resident of the City of Mesquite. He died in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 80s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s who was a resident of the City of Grand Prairie. She had been critically ill and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 80s who was a resident of the City of Irving. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s who was a resident of the City of Sunnyvale. She died at home and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Mesquite. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Balch Springs. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Lancaster. She died in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A woman in her 90s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the City of Grand Prairie. She had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
• A man in his 90s who was a resident of the City of Cedar Hill. He died in hospice and had underlying high-risk health conditions.

COVID-19 VACCINE EFFORTS

In partnership with the state health department, Dallas County opened a large-scale vaccine hub at Fair Park in January where they planned to administer up to 2,000 vaccines per day for those in Phase 1A and 1B. The vaccination center does not accept walk-ups and you must have an appointment to get vaccinated. Register for an appointment at the link below. The county is also planning on providing vaccines at two other locations in the county where they can administer an additional 1,000 vaccines per day.

On Tuesday, county officials said they planned to transition the Fair Park hub to a drive-through model that can administer up to 12,000 doses of the vaccine per day.

Jenkins said Thursday the county has administered 36,024 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine at the county's Fair Park vaccine hub since it opened on Jan. 11. The county received 9,000 more doses for this week and Jenkins said Wednesday there are fewer than 2,000 doses remaining for the week.

The judge reiterated that those who have received their first shot of the vaccine do not need to make an appointment for their second dose -- the date of the second appointment, he said, is on the back of the vaccination card received when the first dose was administered.

COVID-19 Vaccines

In Texas, the COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to anyone over the age of 5. The vaccines are still not approved for children younger than 5 however -- those trials are ongoing.

Once vaccinated, people who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. For those who receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- there is only one shot needed.

As of Jan. 3, 2022, it is also recommended those who are age 12 and up and who have been fully vaccinated receive a booster as early as five months after their last dose, for a total of three shots. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is the only U.S. option for children of any age.

As for even younger children, kid-size doses for 5- to 11-year-olds rolled out in November and experts said healthy youngsters should be protected after their second dose for a while. But the FDA also said on Jan. 3, 2022, that if children that young have severely weakened immune systems, they will be allowed a third dose 28 days after their second. That’s the same third-dose timing already recommended for immune-compromised teens and adults.

Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines, in even smaller doses, for children younger than 5.

Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since none of the vaccines offer 100% protection from infection. With that in mind, even if you've been vaccinated it's still a good idea to wear a mask and keep some separation between strangers or those whose vaccination status is unclear.

Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows where COVID-19 vaccines have been sent around the state. Click on a marker to find out information about each location. Use the "plus" and "minus" signs below to zoom in and out of the map.

From the Texas DSHS: Availability of COVID-19 vaccines lilsted on this map are based on shipping information and reporting to the DSHS directly by facilities. Please contact providers in advance to confirm vaccination location and hours, that they have vaccine on hand and that you are eligible for vaccination at that site. Not all providers are vaccinating the public or people in all priority groups. Vaccine is available at no charge, regardless of insurance status.