Dallas County now ranks fifth for number of new cases in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. As of Friday, June 5, Dallas had added 781 new COVID-19 cases during the prior three days.
Dallas County added more than 500 cases over the weekend, and Sunday was the eleventh straight day of more than 200 new cases. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has urged Dallasites to maintain social distancing in large gatherings, and said the county will provide free testing to anyone participating in protests and won’t be providing personal information to law enforcement.
Because testing can be increased and given to asymptomatic patients, raw testing numbers are more a reflection of access to testing than the severity of the disease, but experts are concerned that Dallas may be losing focus on flattening the curve.
The City of Dallas’ COVID-19 Czar Dr. Kelvin Baggett penned an editorial in The Dallas Morning News expressing concern over the lack of vigilance against the virus in North Texas. “Remember that the presence of the virus anywhere poses a threat to us all, but we have demonstrated remarkable capacity and willingness to respond in a way that limits our collective suffering and loss of life,” he wrote. “Let’s not give up now, the potential consequences are too severe. This is truly a matter, for some of us, of life and death.”
According to data released by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, ventilator usage has remained low and steady, while hospitalizations and intensive care unit beds have crept up slowly. They still remain below 70% capacity. Once they hit that marker, hospitals risk a rush of patients they will be unable to serve.
Here are the top five counties for new COVID-19 cases in the country three days prior to June 5.
