Bray said residents should monitor COVID advisories before traveling. If there is a positive case identified at a campus, the schools COVID-19 Response Team will identify and notify close contacts. Republican Ken Paxton said on the Mark Davis Show this morning the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily stayed a decision from a federal judge in Austin. The CDC also advised that everyone vaccinated or not should wear a mask in public. The program stopped accepting new applications in November due to overwhelming demand. It is so much better when we work together than when were alone.. About 63% of Dallas County residents ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated, slightly better than Tarrant Countys 60% and slightly worse than the state as a whole, which has about 64% of eligible people fully vaccinated. Elementary School, School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted, Mark Twain School for the Talented and Gifted, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III Global Prep Academy at Paul Quinn College, Dr. Wright L. Lassiter Jr. She wears them because she doesnt want to spread coronavirus to others and because she and her two youngest children are immunocompromised. Elementary School, Lincoln High School and Humanities/Communications Magnet, Mark Twain School for the Talented & Gifted, Marvin E. Robinson School of Business and Management at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview, Personalized Learning Academy at Highland Meadows, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston, Raul Quintanilla Sr. Middle School STEAM Academy, Rosie M. Collins Sorrells School of Education and Social Services at Yvonne A. Ewell Townv, School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, School of Health Professions at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy, Thelma Elizabeth Page Richardson Elementary School, Thomas L. Marsalis Elementary STEAM Academy, West Dallas STEM School Program at Pinkston, William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted, Young Mens Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence Middle School, Young Womens STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School, Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa, M.D. Taneja says more than half of all eligible people in the county are fully vaccinated (58%), and is urging people also get a booster shot. Dallas County reported a total of 7,726 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, as well as 10 more COVID-related deaths. about local conditions. About 61% of people in Dallas County age 5 and over are fully vaccinated. KERA News Weekday Update Newsletter Signup, the Texas Department of State Health Services, according to a story in the Dallas Morning News, Facebook post from Perry Stone Ministries, How did health clinics adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic? If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. So let's do that, and other folks who are not yet vaccinated, certainly it's time to get vaccinated.". The district will align with the states March 12 date to make face coverings optional on campus, but until then, masks are required, she noted. He was 64. California to lift indoor mask mandate as omicron cases fall Richardson ISD to require face masks as cases rise, Richardson ISD will require face masks in pre-K through grade 12 schools beginning Monday. The UT Southwestern lab declined to share details of the case, including where the patient is from and when they were diagnosed with COVID-19. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Dallas ISD announced it will require face masks on district property beginning Tuesday, defying an executive order from Gov. Effective at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, masks are required indoors at all public schools, child care centers, businesses and buildings in Dallas County. The assistance is limited to $9,000 per funeral. The motion is the next step in a lawsuit Governor Abbott filed in January challenging the requirement for nearly all military personnel, including state guard members, to get vaccinated or face consequences. University of Texas researchers project the U.S.'s latest surge in coronavirus hospitalizations will surpass last year's peak by later this month. Testing will take place in the Texas Rangers Sienna Lot M on 1205 Pennant Drive. Nearly 75,000 Texans have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic. The best stories from KERA sent to your inbox. Tarrant County reported 421 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, and six additional deaths on Tuesday. Some are hours and some are multiple hours, maybe double-digit hours in the E.R., waiting for a staffed bed," Richardson said. (916) 558-1784, COVID 19 Information Line: The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Order on required us of a face mask in certain public space pic.twitter.com/bibjDrdzUL. . How will this affect students involved in extracurricular activities? "So the question becomes if people travel to an area of high spread, which you know we are in the medium risk category there's a chance we will see an uptick," said Timothy Bray, director at Institute for Urban Policy Research at The University of Texas at Dallas. Many school districts including Dallas ISD, Richardson ISD, Mesquite ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, Duncanville ISD, DeSoto ISD and Lancaster ISD have agreed to enforce mask mandates. Denton County hospitalization rate holds, number of cases rise. Dallas County narrows mask mandate after CDC revises COVID-19 Dallas health officials urge residents to check COVID trends before Spring Break travel. Texas jobless claims hit another record low since the start of the pandemic. In remarks to the county commissioners court, Huang noted recent CDC data showed omicron is the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.S. Good fit and filtration continue to be the best way to get the most out of your mask. The governors of California, Oregon and Washington have . Charles Scudder, Staff writer. Texas worker wages surged this month, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. "Make certain that everyone who is eligible for that booster get boosted," Hotez said. The number of Texans seeking first-time benefits increased more than 75% for the week ending Dec. 4th. The countys health director Dr. Philip Huang told elected officials the transmission rate is still at the highest level. Texas and other Republican-led states have sued the Biden administration over vaccine mandates for health care workers, large companies, and federal contractors. Tarrant County's public health director says COVID-19 trends are beginning to stabilize in the county. Yes, the district will continue to provide masks and sanitizer at district schools and facilities. The Governor said he encourages Texans to get vaccinated, but it's a voluntary choice. Here's What You Need to Know About the Dallas County Mask Mandate However, the district follows the law to allow accommodations for students or staff who may have an underlying medical reason or condition that limits their ability to wear a mask in a school or work environment. His statement said he tested negative for the virus before boarding a flight back to Texas and again after landing, before testing positive yesterday. Texas has seen a growing number of coronavirus cases with nearly 9-thousand new infections confirmed yesterday. "We're hoping that we're going to see a pretty sharp decrease in the number of hospitalizations too following quickly on the heals of our downturn in cases," Shuford said. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. Charlie Scudder was a general assignment reporter and worked on the features and news desks for eight years. . A federal mandate still requires Texans to wear face coverings on buses, trains and planes, though the order is set to expire on March 18. During a special-called meeting Friday, Dallas County Commissioners approved funding for more gift cards. Each can receive up to $75,000 in funding. The county is focusing on reaching people in jail and juvenile detention centers and those without permanent housing. There are also vaccines at pharmacies. The county reported 1,009 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, and UT Southwestern Medical Center predicts the county will reach more than 2,000 daily cases by late August. The KERA News Weekday Update Newsletter Signup, COVID Live Updates: Dallas County officials lower COVID-19 risk level to green, 'Anxious & Overwhelmed': North Texas Parents Face A New School Year, Changing Mask Requirements, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Challenges Gov. He said they're feeling the pressure to hire more people. He reiterated that the best way to keep COVID from spreading further is to wear a mask, avoid large gatherings and get a vaccine or booster shot. Greg Abbott's ban on local mask mandates. He said Tuesday they are prepared to comply with the mandate but welcome the reprieve. The site will offer tests until early Feb. We are already seeing a higher level of transmission this winter and it is important to act now to prevent overwhelming our busy hospitals so we can provide quality health care to all Californians. Copied. And everywhere in between.. Greg Abbott has waged legal fights with the Biden administration and with cities, counties and school districts over bids to require masks. Richardson said hospital staffing shortages continue despite the drop in COVID-19 patients. They are defending an executive order from the governor that prevents local governments from adopting mask mandates, arguing that individual Texans should be responsible for choosing whether to wear a mask. Dallas ISD will continue contact tracing in the 2021-2022 school year. The CDC announced earlier on Friday a new system for monitoring the virus, which designates individual counties as being at low, medium or high risk of residents contracting COVID-19. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas where the COVID-19 community level is high, or where required by local mask mandates, as further explained below. Jenkins said the doctors who advise him say another potent strain of COVID-19 is inevitable, meaning vaccines continue to be crucial to keep people safe and reduce infections. This number will be updated weekly with the other variants California is currently monitoring on theCDPH Tracking Variants webpage.