Tracking COVID-19: Vaccination totals rise as confirmed cases continue to fall in Dallas County

In Dallas County, new cases of the virus totaled 112 on June 16. The seven-day average now sits at 79, which is a rate of three new daily cases per 100,000 residents, according to a county news release. The seven-day average at this time last week was 92, which is a rate of 3.5 new daily cases per 100,000 residents.

“Almost 56% of eligible Dallas County residents have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement. “Over 311 million doses have already been administered in the United States, so if you haven’t yet received your vaccine, please join the over 145 million people who are now fully vaccinated.”

There have been 261,898 cases and 4,103 deaths in Dallas County since officials began data collection in March 2020. About 20% of deaths countywide have been associated with long-term care facilities.

Gov. Greg Abbott lifted state mask requirements March 10 and said all businesses are allowed to operate at full capacity.

Since early January, when COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations peaked across the state, numbers have greatly declined. According to data from DSHS, there were 1,583 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals as of June 17, down from 1,899 on May 27.

As of June 17, just 2.12% of the hospital beds in Trauma Service Area E were occupied by confirmed COVID-19 patients, according to the DSHS dashboard.

As of March 29, all Texas adults are eligible to receive a vaccine for COVID-19. On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to those ages 12-15. COVID-19 vaccinations had previously been available only to those age 16 and older.

“We will be open again at Fair Park on Saturday with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. but every day there are locations all across the county that are offering the vaccine,” Jenkins said in his June 17 statement. “Please go to www.vaccines.gov to find the location nearest you. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and free, and is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community from COVID-19.”

Dallas County Health and Human Services reported more than 489,000 vaccinations have been administered at the Fair Park mega vaccine clinic since the site began operations Jan. 11.

Collin County announced in August that it would no longer report city-specific information. The city of Richardson does not regularly report its own case numbers; however, Dallas County’s COVID-19 analytics dashboard shows there have been nearly 7,700 confirmed coronavirus cases in that county’s portion of Richardson.