Half of Texas’ eligible population fully vaccinated as 419 new COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths reported

As Texas reached the milestone of fully vaccinating 50% of its eligible population, the state reported 419 more COVID-19 cases Sunday, including 261 new cases and 158 older ones that were recently reported by labs.

The state also reported 11 COVID-19 deaths. That count represents the progress against the virus this year. In late January, the state reported a one-day high of 471 COVID-19 deaths. Officials said then that the total fatalities stood at 35,639. Today, the official toll has risen to 51,349.

About 25,600 more people were reported fully vaccinated since Saturday’s tally, pushing Texas to the 50% mark, according to data kept.

The state’s achievement was met just as the White House encouraged gatherings and fireworks across the country to mark the nation’s “independence” from the virus.

And there is much to cheer: Cases and deaths from COVID-19 are at or near record lows since the outbreak began, thanks to the robust U.S. vaccination effort. Businesses and restaurants are open, hiring is picking up, and travel is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels.

According to the state, 13,963,922 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 12,028,594 are fully vaccinated.

Still, it’s hardly a “Mission accomplished” moment. More than 200 Americans still die each day from COVID-19, a more infectious variant of the virus is spreading rapidly at home and abroad, and tens of millions of Americans have chosen not to get the lifesaving vaccines.

President Joe Biden has come up short of the vaccination goal he had set for the Fourth with great fanfare. He’d hoped to have 70% of the adult population vaccinated by Sunday but clocked in at about 67%, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What concerns officials is the emergence of two disparate realities in the U.S.: the gap between heavily vaccinated communities where the virus is dying out and lesser-vaccinated ones where the new and more contagious delta variant is taking hold.

About 1,000 counties have a vaccination rate below 30%, and the federal government is warning that they could become the next hot spots as virus restrictions ease.

Variant cases have been rising locally, as well. As of Friday, Dallas County had reported 131 alpha variant cases and nine of the delta variant — even as it also nears the 50% full-immunization mark.

According to the state, 1,269,337 people in Dallas County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sunday, while 1,083,385 — 49.7% of the county’s population 12 and older — are fully vaccinated.

The county no longer reports COVID-19 data over the weekend, but as of Friday its overall case total was 306,864 — 263,271 confirmed and 43,593 probable. The death toll is 4,135.

County Judge Clay Jenkins said last week that hospitalizations — predominately among the unvaccinated — are on the rise in Dallas, and “public health experts are concerned about the impact of the delta variant, especially among the unvaccinated.”

The Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation had projected the county would reach herd immunity by late June, when it was expected that 80% of the population would be vaccinated or have recovered from the coronavirus. But in May the center, which has tracked the county’s COVID-19 data, pushed the county’s herd-immunity projection to late July.

The current two-dose vaccines protect against the delta variant, but the protection is lower for people who’ve had only one dose, according to Dr. James Cutrell, an infectious disease expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

He said two weeks ago that a single vaccine dose would offer about 30% to 50% protection, but both doses would offer 88% to 90% protection against the delta variant. He predicted that the delta variant would “become the dominant one that we’re seeing here in North Texas” within a matter of weeks.

By reaching the 50% mark, Texas joins 19 other states that have fully vaccinated more than half of their population. But state-to-state variation remains stark, and the Biden administration has been pleading with states to step up their efforts in the coming months.

Of the new COVID-19 cases reported in Texas on Sunday, 254 were confirmed and seven were probable. Of the older cases, 152 were confirmed and six were probable.

The state’s case total is now 2,994,471, including 2,550,317 confirmed and 444,154 probable.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County is not reporting numbers over the holiday weekend. Figures that would have been reported over the long weekend will be released Tuesday.

As of Friday, the county’s overall case total was 263,690 — 220,206 confirmed and 43,484 probable. The death toll is 3,577.

According to the state, 946,347 people in Tarrant County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 836,982 — 48.1% of the county’s population 12 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Collin County

The state reported no deaths and added 36 cases to Collin County’s totals Sunday.

All of the new COVID-19 cases were confirmed. The numbers bring the county’s case total to 93,149, including 76,135 confirmed and 17,014 probable. The death toll is 850.

According to the state, 582,958 people in Collin County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 516,336 — 59.7% of the county’s population 12 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County no longer releases COVID-19 data over the weekend.

As of Friday, the county’s overall case total was 77,111 — 56,455 confirmed and 20,656 probable. The death toll is 621.

According to the state, 454,813 people in Denton County have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 406,535 — 54.2% of the county’s population 12 and older — are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

The Texas Department of State Health Services has taken over reporting for these other North Texas counties. In some counties, new data may not be reported every day. The latest numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 11,870 cases (9,475 confirmed and 2,395 probable), 158 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 16,554 cases (13,666 confirmed and 2,888 probable), 266 deaths.
• Ellis County: 23,151 cases (19,028 confirmed and 4,123 probable), 324 deaths.
• Johnson County: 20,204 cases (17,054 confirmed and 3,150 probable), 379 deaths.