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Dallas County officials sounded the alarm on Tuesday over the rising number of COVID-19, hoping for greater public cooperation with disease prevention precautions.
Reports from other Texas cities of hospital and mortuary space shortages worried Dallas County Commissioners on Tuesday.
“In two weeks, where are we going to be, listening to what’s going on in the state,” asked Commissioner Theresa Daniel.
Dallas County health director Dr Philip Huang showed commissioners a chart of daily emergency room visits over the past few months. It showed a recent increase closer and closer to the summer peak that Huang hoped to avoid.
Health director blames fatigue from COVID-19 for rising numbers.
“I think everyone is very concerned with trends. I know we’ve also heard of increases in day care centers and some long-term care facilities, some of which really reflect the fatigue of COVID. Just feel like people aren’t as good at controlling infections, ”Dr Huang said.
The number of positive test results fluctuates and many test results are still not reported to the health department. This makes it impossible to trace contacts for these cases and makes the correct number of cases inaccurate.
“We really don’t know. And these hospitals, these beds, are the only indicator, as far as I’m concerned, ”said Commissioner John Wiley Price.
According to the health director, hospitals in the Dallas area and the county medical examiner currently have a sufficient bed and mortuary. But he said they could be exhausted if residents did not increase the use of disease precautions, including masks, social distancing, small gatherings and frequent hand washing.
“The community has done a tremendous job so far. We have shown that we can slow this down. We’ve seen the declines when we all do it, when we all stick to these things, ”Dr Huang said.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins called for caution over the size of holiday gatherings.
“When we get together normally and sit around a common table to thank, you celebrate these in small groups,” he said.
It’s a holiday season like no other.
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