By Ashley Moss
Staff Writer
COVID-19 cases have reached a new high in Dallas County for the month of August. As of August 31, Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 460 additional cases of Coronavirus, bringing the confirmed count for COVID-19 in Dallas County to 71,630, including 902 confirmed deaths.
During this disaster declaration, Dallas hospitals are required to report the information, according to City of Dallas emergency regulations, to provide data to decision-makers and information to the public regarding the medical community’s capacity to handle COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“We continue to see our average number of daily cases decrease and tomorrow we will have an updated chart showing our rolling seven-day average based on date-of-test collection, as well as new data on hospitalizations and ER visits,” said Judge Clay Jenkins. “The trends are going in the right direction, but we must continue to be diligent about mask wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and avoiding unnecessary trips and indoor places where masks cannot be or are not being worn 100% of the time,” he continued.
Health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions and ER visits to help determine COVID-19 risk levels and and guidelines for activities during the COVID-19 response. Residents are asked to help prevent spread of the virus by practicing certain protocols, including safe social distancing (avoiding close contact with other people, especially those who are sick), frequently cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, not touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and staying home when sick.
