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Mesquite’s COVID-19 weekly case totals remain low after a summer surge spread across the metroplex. Dallas County reported 152 Mesquite residents had contracted the virus since last week, raising the city’s total cases to 24,845. A total of 438 Mesquite residents have died from the virus, according to Dallas County health data.
For the past month, Mesquite has continued on a downward trend in reported cases from the past month’s numbers as vaccination rates continue to climb slowly. About 74% of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Dec. 22.
The new omicron variant of the coronavirus was detected in North Texas two weeks ago, just days after Texas’ first omicron case was identified in the Houston area.
Dr. John Hellerstedt, a Department of State Health Services commissioner, told The Dallas Morning News that the variant’s arrival in Texas was unsurprising.
“It’s normal for viruses to mutate, and given how quickly omicron spread in southern Africa, we’re not surprised that it showed up here,” Hellerstedt said.
The omicron variant, first detected in South Africa, appears to have more than 30 mutations in the coronavirus’ spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people. U.S. health officials are urging unvaccinated Americans to get their shots and eligible adults to get booster shots.
Masks are mandatory in Dallas County schools, businesses and county buildings, per an executive order issued by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on Aug. 11.
Here’s how COVID-19 has affected Mesquite and how the city’s vaccination rates compare to others nearby.
Coronavirus cases
Dallas County’s case counts are updated Tuesday and Friday, however, the update this week didn’t provide updates for cities. Mesquite doesn’t maintain public tracking data related to COVID. The COVID-19 tracker data from NBC 5 keeps a daily count of cases and deaths for cities, including Mesquite.
| Mesquite | Increase since last week | Dallas County | Increase since last week | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total cases | 24,693 | 152 | 420,252 | 2,527 |
| Deaths | 449 | 11 | 5,417 | 76 |
Vaccination rates in Mesquite and neighboring cities
Federal regulators cleared the final regulatory hurdle Nov. 2 in approving pediatric COVID-19 shots, giving the OK for thousands of North Texas children to be protected from the novel coronavirus.
Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly under government rules that took effect Nov. 4, The Associated Press reported.
Dallas County also tracks vaccination rates across local cities. Here’s a look at Mesquite’s vaccination rates compared with nearby cities and the county average, as of Dec. 22.
| Mesquite | Garland | Rowlett | Sunnyvale | Balch Springs | Seagoville | Dallas County | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of residents over the age of 18 who have received at least one dose | 74% | 82% | 70% | <99% | 74% | 75% | 78% |
| Percentage of residents over the age of 18 who are fully vaccinated | 58% | 66% | 57% | 87% | 57% | 60% | 62% |
Changes around the city
- The city’s new solid waste ordinance took effect on Oct. 1. Here’s what you need to know.
- Mesquite Social Services, which served Mesquite-area residents for nearly 58 years, announced it would close, citing the pandemic.
- All water utility customers having financial challenges paying their bills are encouraged to contact Water Utility Billing at 972-216-6208.
- More information can be found on the city’s coronavirus website.
Education
- Masks are optional in Mesquite ISD as of Nov. 9.
- The district has an online reporting tool for students and staff to notify the district of COVID-19 cases or close exposures.