As Texas Reopens, Dallas County Again Posts Record-High New Coronavirus Numbers

For a third time this week, Dallas set a new single-day record for new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Friday. The county reported 187 new cases of the disease Friday. The total tops the county's previous single-day record of 179 new cases, which it set Thursday. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins...

By Silas Allen

May 1, 2020

The novel coronavirus pandemic continues in Dallas County. KTS Design / Science Photo Library

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For a third time this week, Dallas set a new single-day record for new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Friday.

The county reported 187 new cases of the disease Friday. The total tops the county's previous single-day record of 179 new cases, which it set Thursday. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the sharp uptick is coming despite no significant increase in testing capacity.

The county also reported two new coronavirus-related deaths: a Dallas man in his 20s and a man in his 50s who was an inmate at the Hutchins city jail. Both men had been critically ill at local hospitals, county officials said. Jenkins said the county has begun seeing younger people dying of the disease.

"All this illustrates why we all must make smart decisions and follow the science to #FlattenTheCurve," Jenkins said in a statement. "Please wear face coverings when visiting businesses, limit unnecessary shopping trips and remember #StayHomeSavesLives until we achieve two consecutive weeks of decline."

The uptick comes on the day that restrictions across Texas begin to roll back. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he would allow the state's stay-at-home order to expire Thursday night. A new executive order allows restaurants, shopping malls and movie theaters to reopen at 25% capacity. That order supersedes all local stay-at-home orders.

On Thursday, as the state was on the eve of reopening, Texas reported 50 coronavirus-related deaths, its largest single-day death total since the outbreak began.

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Silas Allen has been the Dallas Observer's news editor since March 2019. Before coming to Dallas, he worked as a reporter and editor at the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. He's a Missouri native and a graduate of the University of Missouri.

Contact: Silas Allen