The combined number of active COVID-19 cases in Collin and Denton counties, which encompass Frisco, decreased slightly in the last week.
On Sept. 3, the counties reported a combined total of 2,433 active COVID-19 cases: 1,808 in Denton County and 625 in Collin County. The week before, the combined active case total was 2,375. The city of Frisco is no longer providing an online public health awareness dashboard tracking COVID-19 data in Frisco after a council decision Sept. 1 during a work session. Council cited a backlog of COVID-19 test results submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services by several commercial laboratories last month that led to surges in cases provided to the city as reason for removing the city dashboard.
As the backlogged test results are added to the electronic reporting system, some counties are receiving notification of COVID-19 positive results that were previously diagnosed but not reported to the local health department at the time the test was completed. As a result, statewide confirmed case counts and some county case counts have recently included some older cases.
The DSHS is working daily with laboratories to facilitate reporting to ensure local jurisdictions receive timely laboratory reports. Patients were notified at the time of diagnosis through a separate process, according to state officials.
Collin County added a disclaimer to its COVID-19 dashboard Aug. 18 that says the county lacks confidence in the data currently being provided by the state health department. The county revised the disclaimer Aug. 24 to acknowledge the DSHS is working to make data as accurate as possible.
County Judge Chris Hill said the DSHS was expected to set up a Collin County work group Aug. 25 that will be committed to rectifying the county’s backlog of cases.
Hill said the work group will be checking whether patients currently classified as active cases of COVID-19 have been symptom free for 10 days so they can be reclassified as recovered. If the group is unable to reach a patient after three attempts, they will be reclassified as recovered, he said.
Data shows the 20-29 age group in Denton County has had the highest number of total COVID-19 cases, but that age group is followed by those ages 30-39 and ages 40-49. Collin County's case breakdown by age group and ZIP code was not available as of Sept. 3. Data shows six deaths in Collin County and one in Denton County in the past seven days. The total number of deaths since tracking began in March is 114 for Collin County and 101 for Denton County.
Among the key indicators being watched by experts is the number of hospitalizations. Collin County reported 100 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Sept. 3, and Denton County reported 31. That number has fluctuated in Collin County and generally decreased in Denton County in the last two weeks. Collin County has a hospital bed capacity of 2,702. Denton County is reporting 235 available hospital beds out of 728, 39 available intensive care unit beds out of 91 and 192 available ventilators out of 259 as of Sept. 3.
Statewide, the number of patients who have tested positive with COVID-19 and are currently hospitalized is 4,075 as of Sept. 3. That compares with 4,489 patients who were hospitalized and had COVID-19 a week ago.
Other key indicators being watched by experts is the state’s positivity rate, which hit a record high in Texas on Aug. 11 with a rate of 24.5%. The rate is averaged over the previous seven days and calculates the ratio of positive new cases compared with the number of tests. Gov. Greg Abbott has previously said that a rate of 10% or more is cause for concern. On Sept. 2, the rate was 8.98%. Here is a look at the rate since early April.
