This story will be continuously updated on Aug. 16.
Nearly 10,000 people have died in Texas from COVID-19 since tracking began in March, state officials reported Sunday, as state data backlogs continue to plague counties' tracing efforts.
Roughly 1.75% of all Texans have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Of them:
- 9,983 people have died
- 399,572 have recovered
- At least 125,487 people across the state are considered active cases
Counties across the state have been reporting large backlogs of data from Texas officials for the past few days, with Dallas County officials reporting 5,195 additional cases Sunday from the past six months.
The majority of the Dallas County cases were from people who tested positive in July: 4,298.
The rest were as follows:
- 13 people in March
- 149 in April
- 80 more people in May
- 52 in June
- Another 603 in August so far
Dallas County officials said there were 166 new cases Sunday, with one additional death after a Dallas man in his 50s died. He had been critically ill in a local hospital and had had underlying high-risk health conditions.
The combined new numbers raise the county's cumulative total to 63,428 people who have tested positive since tracking began in March, with 825 deaths, officials said.
The county also has a probable case count of 2,515 people, with seven probable deaths.
"It is expected that there will be more batches of cases missed by the state’s system being reported in the coming days," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. "All this reinforces the importance of self-isolating and following CDC guidance if you were tested and awaiting results. This also means isolating from your family and wearing a mask inside your home to keep them from getting infected in case you are positive for COVID-19."
The judge also said the backlog meant local officials had not been able to conduct any contract tracing for those nearly 5,200 cases.
"That’s why it’s important also if you know you’re COVID-19 positive to inform all those you’ve been in close contact with so that they can self-isolate," Jenkins said. "A close contact is anyone that you’ve been around for more than 15 minutes, 48 hours before the onset of your symptoms through your illness, whether or not both or either of you were masked during the time you were together."
Tarrant County also reported a large backlog of case data from the state Sunday, though nowhere near the numbers Dallas County had.
For Tarrant County, there were 348 additional cases local officials attributed to the state backlog, in addition to the 340 new cases the county saw Sunday.
That was in addition to the backlog of 1,151 additional cases reported there Saturday as well.
That county has had 37,760 total cases reported, with 459 deaths. Currently, around 391 people are hospitalized with the disease, while 28,120 have recovered so far, officials said.
Collin County health officials said they reported no new cases from the state database Sunday as well, and gave no further information.
Denton County's coronavirus dashboard also reported no new cases for Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020.
Top updates for Sunday, Aug. 16:
- Robert Rhodes was a "professor's professor" at TCU, colleagues said. He died due to COVID-19 complications on Friday after more than 30 years of teaching at the school.
- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is warning Texans not to get complacent ahead of Labor Day as schools reopen. "We can't give up early again," she said on Inside Texas Politics.
- Not all sales have gone down during the pandemic— the Texas lottery has seen a spike, leading to more funding for schools at a critical time.
Saliva testing expanding in Fort Worth, Tarrant County
Fort Worth and Tarrant County officials announced Sunday they will expand their COVID-19 saliva testing efforts with mobile locations throughout the area this week.
To make an appointment, residents can sign up online here or call 817-248-6299.
The times and locations will be as follows:
Tuesday
- 8 to 11 a.m.: Fort Worth ISD Scarborough-Handley Field parking lot at 6201 Craig St.
- 2 to 5 p.m.: Como Community Center at 4660 Horne St.
Wednesday
- 8 to 11 a.m.: City Northside Service Center at 309 Hillshire Drive
- 2 to 5 p.m.: Tarrant County College-Northwest Campus at 4801 Marine Creek Pkwy
Thursday
- 8 to 11 a.m.: La Gran Plaza at 4200 South Fwy
- 2 to 5 p.m.: Beth Eden Missionary Baptist Church at 3208 Wilbarger St.
Friday
- 8 to 11 a.m.: Christ Church Assembly of God at 5301 Altamesa Blvd
- 2 to 5 p.m.: Hillwood Commons I at 9800 Hillwood Pkwy.
The new sites will be in addition to the two previously established saliva testing sites at Dickies Arena and J.P. Elder Middle School. The site at Dickies is open from 8 a.m. to noon while the middle school site is open from 2 to 6 p.m.
All of the sites are free to the public, but insurance information is collected when possible, officials said.
Health experts recommend taking the following actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wear a face covering.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Practice "social distancing" and stay at least 6 feet away from others and avoid large public gatherings
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Consult CDC’s travel website for any travel advisories and steps to protect yourself if you plan to travel outside of the U.S.
WFAA digital producers Jennifer Prohov and Jake Harris contributed to this report.