Dallas County Reports Rise in ‘Breakthrough’ COVID Cases. Some 955 fully vaccinated Dallas County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. There has also been a recent rise in hospitalizations for the virus. Some of this can be blamed on the spread of the “delta” variant of the virus, which is more contagious than previous mutations. Hospitalizations in Tarrant County are also surging. Health officials say that the hospitalizations typically involve severe cases in unvaccinated people, and even though the vaccine doesn’t offer 100 percent coverage, it is still extremely effective and helps prevent severe infections.
Sha’Carri Richardson Left Off Olympic Relay Team. The Oak Cliff sprinter and one of the fastest women in the world was disqualified from the 100-meter dash after testing positive for THC, the active chemical in marijuana. But the timing of that decision left open the possibility that she would still race in the 4×100 relay at the Tokyo Olympics. Yesterday, USA Track and Field officials announced that she would also not participate in that race since her test results negated her performance at the Olympic trials. In a statement, USA Track and Field officials also said they agree that the international rules banning marijuana use should be changed.
Dallas Police May Change the Way It Handles Fireworks Calls. More than a dozen people were shot across Dallas on July 4, but the department also faced an emergency dispatcher shortage as it received some 4,850 calls reporting fireworks and illegal gunfire. Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia says the department may do “something different” in how it handles those calls in the future.
