With new variant, highly contagious Omicron, soaring nationwide, more than 2,600 cases of new COVID-19 infections were reported on New Year’s Eve in Dallas, as citizens welcomed 2022 on Friday.
About 1,900 cases out of 2,614 were confirmed, while others were probable, and the county reported 17 new deaths. With this, the total cases of the county rose to 435,153 (366,469 positive cases and 68,684 most probable cases) and the death toll to 5,546.
For the last two weeks, the county’s average number of daily cases is 1,064, which is more than 3-times that from the previous 14-day period (average of 353). The reports also mention about 541 people being hospitalized with corona.
Impact of New Year Celebration Season
By Market Research Journal and Compared to last year’s corona cases during the new year celebration party, it is almost double this year. Owing to these observations, spike in cases, and hospitalization, the public health officials have raised the county’s COVID-19 threat level to red.
About 997 new patients were rushed to the hospital at the emergency department of Parkland Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, which was a record high for a day there. At Cook Children’s Health Care System, the positivity rate was 4-times in just a week.
Along with cases, the demand for Rapid and RTPCR tests has also increased around the holidays.
Government aid and precautions
To arrest the spread, Gov. Greg Abbott asked the federal government on Friday to increase the facility at the hospitals in and around Dallas and Tarrant counties where the positivity rate is high.
County Judge Clay Jenkin also advised people to wear a mask and limit the number of people at the gatherings to restrict the spread. He also suggested preferring more effective N95 or surgical masks than cloth masks against the new variant.
It is reported that about 1,722,860 people of Dallas County are given a single dose of vaccine and around 60% of the total population, i.e., 1,475,688 people age five and above, are vaccinated fully, as of Thursday.
