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COVID-19 updates: Tarrant County hospitalizations remain below 300 for 20th straight day

COVID-19 patients currently make up 5% of the total hospital bed capacity.

DALLAS — Tarrant County Public Health reported Monday there are currently 220 people hospitalized with COVID-19. There were 220 hospitalizations the previous day, as well.

The last time there were more than 300 hospitalizations happened on Nov. 1 when there were 319.

COVID-19 patients currently make up 5% of the total hospital bed capacity.

Health officials reported one new COVID-19 death, which was an Arlington woman in her 70s. There have been now been 4,876 total deaths in the county since tracking began in March 2020.

There were also 180 new COVID-19 cases Monday. There have been 369,564 total cases in the county since tracking began in March 2020.

As of last Wednesday, there have been 2,714,363 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in Tarrant County, according to health officials.

Credit: Jay Wallis

RELATED: New hurdle for COVID-19 home testing: the holiday season

Dallas County reports 14 new deaths

Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 14 new COVID-19 deaths Monday.

These ranged in age from a Dallas woman in his 20s to a Dallas woman in her 90s.

This brings the county's confirmed COVID-19 death total to 5,185 since tracking began in March 2020.

There were also 382 new COVID-19 cases Monday, according to local health officials.

Of the new cases, 102 are considered probable because they came from antigen tests

There have now been 347,860 total confirmed cases since tracking began in March 2020.

140 new cases in Collin County, state health officials say

There were 140 new COVID-19 cases in Collin County Monday, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. There were no new cases reported Sunday.

County health officials do not report daily case count statistics.

The county's current 14-day case count average is 75, state data shows. The record average of 708 cases happened from Dec. 31 to Jan. 13.

Collin County health officials said the county currently has 106 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday. This is up from 101 on Friday, the last day this statistic was reported.

COVID-19 patients make up 4% of Collin County's total hospital bed capacity, according to county data.

Credit: Jay Wallis

Denton County health officials report 50 hospitalizations

Denton County Public Health reported there are currently 50 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the county, up from 46 on Sunday. Denton County hospitalizations have remained below 60 every day since Nov. 6.

The county currently has a 14-day average of 49 hospitalizations. This average has remained below 50 for three straight days. 

There are currently seven ICU beds currently available in the county's hospitals.

Health officials reported three new COVID-19 deaths. These included two men in their 70s who were residents of the unincorporated northeast Denton County and a Denton man in his 80s.

Health officials reported 177 new COVID-19 cases Monday. There have now been 110,306 total cases in the county since tracking began in March 2020.

There are currently 208,243 people in Denton County who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, 198,764 who have received their second dose and 1,160 who have received their third dose.

Credit: Jay Wallis

RELATED: Death of 4-year-old Texas girl, originally blamed on COVID, still a mystery after autopsy inconclusive

State officials report hospitalizations have remained below 3,000 for 17th-straight day

On Monday, state health officials reported there are currently 2,618 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas. This is up from 2,610 the previous day.

The state currently has had fewer than 3,000 hospitalizations for 17 consecutive days. The last time it was above 3,000 was on Nov. 4, when there were 3,018 hospitalizations.

The record-high number of hospitalizations happened on Jan. 11, when there were 14,218 patients in Texas hospitals.

The state currently has a 14-day average of 2,700 hospitalizations.

Credit: Jay Wallis

State officials report 1,398 new cases

State health officials reported 1,398 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, up from 504 cases Sunday.

This two-day total of 1,902 is the lowest it has been since Nov. 14-15 last week when there were 1,426 new daily cases in Texas.

Texas has had fewer than 10,000 daily cases every day since Oct. 7.

The state's current 14-day average is 2,574 cases.

The record-high average happened from Jan. 4-17 when it was 18,915.

Credit: Jay Wallis

State health officials report 37 new cases in long-term care facilities

There were 37 new COVID-19 cases added in nursing facilities and assisted living facilities Monday, state health officials said.

There have been fewer than 100 daily cases every day officials have reported these cases, since Nov. 2.

In October, these facilities averaged 84 new cases a day. So far through November, they are averaging 44.

The highest monthly average happened in December when Texas long-term care facilities were averaging 614 cases a day.

Credit: Jay Wallis

Federal workers must be vaccinated starting Monday

Starting Monday, all federal employees in America must show they are fully vaccinated to be in compliance with Executive Order 14043, which President Joe Biden signed in September.

According to one U.S. official, "more than 90% of federal workers" have had at least one shot by the Nov. 22 deadline. 

In order to be considered fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, individuals must be two weeks removed from either their second dose of the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or the one and only dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  

There are some exceptions to the mandate, including certain medical conditions and religious beliefs.

RELATED: Vaccine mandate for federal workers goes into effect Monday

Pfizer’s pill treatment not a vaccine replacement, experts say

Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill treatment can’t replace vaccines. The pill treatment is intended to help people who are already infected with COVID-19, not help prevent infection.

Dr. Sherrill Brown, medical director of infection prevention at AltaMed Health Services, said the COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral pill treatments work differently. 

The vaccines teach the immune system how to fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. That helps prevent infection, which the pill treatment doesn’t do.

“The pill is not a preventative, the pill would be used as a treatment,” Brown said. “So, you actually have to get the infection in order to use the pill.” 

On Nov. 5, Pfizer announced results from a clinical trial found its COVID-19 pill treatment was effective at reducing coronavirus-related hospitalizations and death.

RELATED: No, Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill treatment is not a vaccine replacement

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