Updated at 8: 40 p.m.: Revised to include latest data from Ellis County.
For the fifth straight day, fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19 were reported among Dallas County residents.
Friday’s announcement of 71 additional positive coronavirus tests brought the county’s total to 2,834.
County officials also reported five more deaths caused by the illness.
Four of the victims were residents of long-term care facilities in Dallas — a man in his 80s, a woman in her 80s and two women in their 90s — and the fifth was a Garland man in his 70s. All five had been hospitalized.
There have been 77 deaths related to the virus in Dallas County, and about 40% of those have involved residents of long-term care facilities, officials said. Only about 7% of the county’s total cases have been linked to those facilities.
In a statement, County Judge Clay Jenkins noted that a new mobile testing unit through Parkland Health & Hospital System had performed 152 tests in a nursing home Thursday and was back out Friday.
“We must do all we can to protect our most vulnerable and push more testing into high uninsured neighborhoods where underlying health conditions are more prevalent,” Jenkins said.
The county’s detailed coronavirus data, which is released twice a week, shows that about one-fourth of COVID-19 cases have required hospitalization at some point. Of those, most of the patients were at least 65 years old or had at least one high-risk health condition, with diabetes being the most common such condition.
About 30% of hospitalized patients have been admitted to an intensive-care unit, but the county noted that the number of ICU admissions declined in the most recent week.
Tarrant County
Three more Fort Worth men have died from COVID-19, Tarrant County health officials said Friday.
Two of the men were in their 60s and one was in his 80s. No additional details were released.
Tarrant County has had 48 confirmed deaths related to the virus.
“As this virus continues to take a toll on families across our county, we must remain vigilant and look to the future,” Vinny Taneja, the county’s public-health director, said in a written statement.
The county reported 147 positive coronavirus tests Friday, the most for a North Texas county in a single day.
There have been 1,706 total cases in Tarrant County. Of those patients, 282 have recovered.
In Fort Worth, an amended emergency declaration issued by Mayor Betsy Price now permits in-person religious services, though it “strongly” recommends such services continue to be held remotely.
Guidance issued by state officials says that when in-person services are held, people who are sick should be urged to stay home and those who attend should follow social-distancing recommendations and maintain good hygiene.
Collin County
Two women at a McKinney nursing home died after contracting COVID-19, county officials said Friday.
The women were 85 and 95, and both had underlying health conditions. Collin County has reported 16 deaths from the illness.
“Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with these ladies’ families and friends,” County Judge Chris Hill said in a written statement. “All of us at Collin County are saddened at the report of these COVID-19 deaths within our community.”
Officials did not say which facility the women lived at. On Wednesday, a spokesman for The Oxford Grand confirmed that eight patients in memory care at the facility had died after testing positive for the virus.
County officials also reported 30 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total to 639. Twenty-four patients remain hospitalized, while 446 have recovered.
Denton County
Denton County officials reported 19 new COVID-19 cases Friday, along with nine newly recovered patients.
The county has had 680 total coronavirus cases, with 19 deaths and 328 recoveries.
Rockwall County
Officials in Rockwall County said Friday that there were four new cases of COVID-19 among county residents.
Three of the patients live in Rockwall, and one lives in Fate. The county has had 65 total cases.
Kaufman County
Kaufman County officials reported four new cases of the coronavirus Friday, bringing the county’s total to 62.
There have been no COVID-19 deaths reported in the county, and 35 patients are presumed to have recovered, officials said.
About 70% of the patients have been in their 20s, 30s or 40s, according to the county’s data.
Johnson County
Five new COVID-19 cases were reported in Johnson County on Friday: two in Burleson and three in unincorporated areas.
The county has had 69 total cases. Thirty-one patients have been released from isolation, and two Johnson County residents have died from the virus, including one who was out of state.
Ellis County
Health officials in Ellis County reported six new cases of the coronavirus late Friday.
The county has had 141 total cases, with four deaths and 69 recoveries.
Dallas Fire-Rescue
Thirteen Dallas Fire-Rescue members have tested positive for the coronavirus, the department said Friday, and seven of them have since been cleared to return to duty.
The six others remain in isolation. Forty-seven additional department employees remain in quarantine because of exposure to someone who may have COVID-19.