Irving COVID-19 cases top 11,000 with 78 deaths, plus other coronavirus updates

Coronavirus cases in Irving jumped to 11,245 as of Nov. 20, making it the hardest-hit city in Dallas County behind Dallas itself.

In total, 78 Irving residents have died from the virus.

As of Monday, Dallas County was reporting 119,483 confirmed coronavirus cases and 11,244 probable cases. It has recorded 1,191 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 27 probable deaths.

In addition, Irving has at least 719 probable cases of the virus. Dallas County counts probable cases separately and does not include them in its confirmed case totals.

County Judge Clay Jenkins said it was urgent for residents to take action to keep the local spread of the virus from skyrocketing and to spend Thanksgiving with as few people as possible.

Citing a COVID-19 forecast from UT Southwestern Medical Center, Jenkins had said Dallas County was on track to reach more than 2,000 new cases a day by Thanksgiving.

On Monday, he said that while the addition of 541 cases was much lower, it’s too early to call it a trend.

UTSW’s projections show compliance with preventive measures such as wearing masks, avoiding crowds and social distancing — has fallen to 56%. UTSW tracks data from a variety of sources, including cellphone locations and doctor visits.

Jenkins said at least 65% compliance will be necessary to flatten the curve of the infection rate.

“It’s going to be a lot easier for those of you who are wearing your mask, who are thinking about these things, to improve than it is to convince your neighbor who believes that the mask is an abridgement of their personal liberty,” Jenkins said.

Across the state, 5,756 new cases and 143 COVID-19 deaths were reported Thursday. The state also said 2,705 older cases had been reported. Texas has now reported 993,841 confirmed cases and 19,147 fatalities.

Although Johns Hopkins University of Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center and some media have said Texas has surpassed 1 million COVID-19 cases, the state’s official total has not crossed that mark. Delays and differences in reporting have led to discrepancies in case counts nationwide.

There were 6,925 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 1,986 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide, based on the date of specimen collection, was 12.4% as of Wednesday. State health officials said using data based on when people were tested provides the most accurate positivity rate.

The state also provides a positivity rate based on when lab results were reported to the state; that rate stood at 12.7% as of Wednesday.

Dallas County’s case counts for Irving are updated Tuesday and Friday.

Schools

Since Aug. 10, when staff reported to work, Irving ISD has reported 283 COVID-19 cases. Of those, 68 are active and the rest have recovered.

Irving has the lowest enrollment for face-to-face classes compared to other area school districts, such as Dallas, Plano and Frisco, according to an analysis by The Dallas Morning News.

About 39% of the 32,638 students registered in Irving returned to classrooms, while the other 61% took their lessons online, according to district data.

An average of 53.2% of Dallas ISD students returned to face-to-face classes, although some schools exceed those percentages. In Plano, about 47% of students returned to campus and in Frisco, 45%, the analysis found.

Businesses

The city of Irving expanded a program aimed at helping small businesses that have suffered financially from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Independently owned franchises are now eligible to apply, as well as sole proprietors and home-based business owners. Businesses can receive up to $50,000 in forgivable loans.

Testing

A new walk-up COVID-19 testing site will open in Irving beginning Nov. 16.

Parkland Health & Hospital System has partnered with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the city of Dallas to open the site at Parkland’s Irving Health Center, 1800 N. Britain Road.

Hours for the new site will be 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or until the site reaches capacity each day. Reservations are not required, and results are expected within 48 to 72 hours.

Patients must live in Dallas County and show verification of address, such as a utility bill or government-issued ID.

First responders, DART drivers and healthcare workers can receive a test regardless of where they live if they work in Dallas County. They must provide a valid work ID.

Test recipients must be at least 5 years old.