Dallas County Sets COVID-19 Death Record. The county reported 20 new deaths from the virus, and Texas set yet another high for new cases — 6,975 Tuesday, which is about 1,000 cases more than the previous high. Dallas County hospitalizations are also at an all-time high. Testing is running into problems across Texas, as demand leads to long waits and results can take weeks to process. Gov. Abbott’s reopening plans have backfired tremendously, which is evident in both the surge in COVID-19 cases at day care facilities, which forced the state to reinstate emergency requirements it had previously repealed, and in the bar industry’s lawsuit against the governor, which alleges that his “erratic” approach to the shutdowns unfairly decimated their industry. Rural counties are now seeing a surge in cases, but suburban politicians resist requiring masks.
UT Southwestern Researching New COVID-19 Treatment. Here’s some more hopeful news: doctors at UTSW are attempting to determine if a pneumonia drug called Atovaquone, which is sometimes used to treat HIV patients, can be used as a possible COVID-19 treatment. They hope to begin using the treatment on patients in the Dallas area soon.
Three Dallas Protesters Sue City. Three Dallas protesters who were arrested during the first weekend of demonstrations against police brutality have filed a lawsuit against the city of Dallas claiming that Texas’ 40-year-old anti-rioting law is unconstitutional. They say the statute is too broadly written and can be used to target peaceful demonstrators.
