COVID-19 case numbers are climbing in Dallas County. Here’s what you need to know (2024)

The number of coronavirus cases in Dallas County is on the rise, with only a week and a half left before the Christmas holiday. And UT Southwestern Medical Center forecasts a continuing rise or leveling in cases and hospitalizations in the next several weeks.

The average daily number of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days has increased when compared to the previous 14-day average, according to Dallas County. The most recent 14-day average is 333 cases, a 26% increase from the previous 14-day average of 264.

Fourteen-day averages provide a more accurate picture of county case numbers because new case information is not always released every day.

UT Southwestern released new COVID-19 forecasting for the Dallas-Fort Worth area Wednesday that forecasts that case numbers will likely stay level or rise as the year comes to an end.

“We’re forecasting that COVID-19 [cases and hospitalizations] in both Dallas and Tarrant counties have increased and are going to continue increasing over the coming weeks,” said Dr. James Cutrell, associate professor of medicine in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at UT Southwestern.

What are county officials saying about the increase?

County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement that the pace of new cases in the last week is a sign that there could be more community spread.

“Allowing this growth in new cases to go unchecked, especially in the holidays and with the highly contagious omicron variant looming, could have substantial consequences in the coming weeks and months if we don’t take steps to curb the spread,” he said.

In the last week, Dallas County reported 76 more deaths and 2,244 new COVID-19 cases. Of the new cases, 1,725 were confirmed and 519 were probable. The numbers bring the county’s overall case total to 418,940, including 353,389 confirmed and 65,551 probable. The death toll is 5,371.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said he’s closely monitoring the case numbers as the weather gets colder and people spend more time together indoors.

Future spread of the virus “depends on how well we as a community respond. If people continue to do everything to try to slow the spread, we’ve seen that these things work and slow things down,” he said.

That includes getting vaccinated, getting booster shots, wearing a mask and avoiding large indoor crowds.

How is the omicron variant playing a role in North Texas cases?

The number of omicron cases is still small, but expected to increase significantly over the next several weeks, experts said. Delta is still the dominant variant here and across the U.S.

At least four cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus have been confirmed in North Texas in the last week, with UT Southwestern and Denton County each reporting the detection of their first case Tuesday.

Texas’ first omicron case was reported Dec. 6 in Harris County. A fully vaccinated 40-year-old woman with no recent travel history tested positive for the variant.

“One key theme, at least in some of the cases from what’s been publicly reported, is that the patients didn’t have a recent travel history,” Cutrell said. “What that suggests is that there has been ongoing community or local transmission of the omicron variant.”

What do scientists know about the omicron variant?

The omicron variant, first detected by scientists in South Africa, appears to have more than 30 mutations in the virus’s spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads. Just weeks after the new variant was first discovered, experts say omicron now accounts for more than 90% of all new infections in South Africa.

Omicron now makes up about 3% of cases sequenced in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the delta variant still dominates the U.S. with about 97% of all COVID-19 cases analyzed, omicron is quickly gaining ground, CNBC reported.

The Washington Post reported that the omicron variant in the U.S. could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January, according to new modeling from the CDC.

New, preliminary data analysis out of South Africa shows omicron appears to cause less severe disease than previous versions of COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine seems to offer less defense against infection from it but still good protection from hospitalization, The Associated Press reported.

While the recent findings have not been peer-reviewed — the gold standard in scientific research — they line up with other early data about omicron’s behavior, including that it seems to be more easily transmitted.

Omicron cases are spreading in Houston, according to new data from Houston Methodist. The hospital has identified 54 cases of the omicron variant since first detecting the new strain just over a week ago. About 32% of Houston Methodist COVID-19 tests on symptomatic patients are now omicron, a hospital spokesperson said, an increase from 13% four days ago.

How does the rest of North Texas compare with Dallas County?

Of the four major North Texas counties, Tarrant County reported the largest number of cases last week, with 2,707 cases and 36 deaths. The numbers bring the county’s case total to 376,070, including 309,300 confirmed and 66,770 probable. The death toll is 4,960.

The state added 1,632 cases and 16 deaths to Collin County’s totals in the last week, bringing the county’s case total to 135,411. Of the total cases, 109,534 are confirmed and 25,877 are probable. The death toll is 1,192.

Denton County reported 982 cases and one death in the last week. The numbers bring the county’s case total to 112,941, including 81,479 confirmed and 31,462 probable. The death toll is 754.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.