The system, which was created by the county’s public health committee based on guidance from the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes four color-coded levels that indicate whether the risk of coronavirus transmission is high, moderate, low or “new normal.”
A set of guidelines released in conjunction with the system said that green is “the lowest level and represents the new normal needed to protect the community from a return of COVID-19 and appearance of future pandemics.”
The guidelines also outline how residents should approach everyday activities, from going to a restaurant to traveling or attending a religious service.
“Our current status is red, which means residents should avoid crowds, maintain 6-feet of distance, wear a cloth covering at businesses or on public transportation as well as practice good hygiene,” Jenkins said in a May 12 news release.
County officials will determine the risk level based on the latest information on local disease activity, according to the guidelines. Factors that will influence the risk level include hospital and ICU admissions as well as the number of deaths, the guidelines stated.
Dallas County reported 236 new cases of the coronavirus May 12, bringing the total case count to 6,359. Three new deaths have also been confirmed, including a Dallas woman in her 40s, a Irving man in his 50s and a Dallas woman in her 60s. The total number of deaths countywide is 148.
“Today’s number of positive cases is the lowest we have seen in over a week but still within the range we’ve experienced for the last nine days,” Jenkins said in the release.
For more information on the risk level alert system, visit this link.
