Denton County Public Health announced this week that 11 more county residents’ deaths were determined to have been a result of COVID-19, bringing the countywide COVID-19 death toll to 678.
The deaths reported this week include a Lewisville woman in her 40s, a Hickory Creek man in his 40s, a Fort Worth woman in her 40s, a Carrollton woman in her 40s, a Denton man in his 50s, a man in his 50s who resided in unincorporated northwest Denton County, a Lake Dallas woman in her 60s, two Lewisville women in their 70s and a Denton man in his 70s.
“We ask that you keep the family and friends of these individuals in your thoughts and prayers,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “As we see high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations and intensive care utilization across our community, we strongly urge all community members to protect themselves against severe illness and death through COVID-19 vaccination.”
DCPH only rules a resident’s death as a COVID-19 death if it is determined that the person died as a direct result of COVID-19. Actual dates of death can be released several days to several months after the date of death, due to various reporting agencies and medical records review.
Friday’s active case count is 15,373, up from 1,444 on July 6, according to DCPH data. The pandemic high in Denton County was 15,387 on Jan. 29, 2021. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects nearly all current cases in North Texas are the Delta variant. As of Friday, Denton County hospitals’ total inpatient beds are 92.5% occupied, and only one ICU bed is available.
Denton County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Richardson said this week that local hospitals and ICUs are near capacity due to a large number of COVID-19 patients, but there are a few “silver linings” as health officials expect the current surge to plateau soon.
People with compromised immune systems who already got two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can now get a third shot to boost their protection from COVID-19. DCPH has revised the Vaccine Interest Portal to allow individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for a third dose to register for upcoming DCPH vaccination clinics.
Covid hospitalizations are the lowest they have been in a month.
70% of eligible Texans have received a vaccine shot.
60% of eligible Texans are fully vaccinated.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 18, 2021
To minimize spread of COVID-19, DCPH urges all unvaccinated community members to:
- Maintain at least six feet of physical distance in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wear masks or face coverings, which should cover both the nose and mouth, in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wash and/or sanitize hands frequently
- Stay home if you are symptomatic, have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, or are awaiting COVID-19 test results
- If you are 12 years old or over, get your COVID-19 vaccine
If you are fully vaccinated, CDC recommends mask use in public indoor spaces.
If you are severely immunocompromised, consider an additional dose of mRNA vaccine after your initial two doses.
Click here for more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Denton County. For additional COVID-19 data including active case information by municipality, hospital capacity, and ventilator utilization, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVIDstats.
For information regarding DCPH’s upcoming testing centers, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19testing.
For additional COVID-19 health and safety recommendations, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19.
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