We want to make sure everyone takes all the precautions and does everything they can to slow the spread," said Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. The CDC also advised that everyone vaccinated or not should wear a mask in public. Before resuming the masking requirement in December, California had lifted the requirement for people who were vaccinated as of June 15, a date that Newsom had described then as the states grand reopening. They also make up the majority of hospitalizations in the region. "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. With case rates increasing 47% since Thanksgiving, the California Department of Public Health will require universal masking to increase protection to individuals, families, and communities during the holidays. So seemingly the public is liking it because it's convenient, it comes to your neighborhood.". The expected date is sometime in January. Chief State Epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Shuford said theyre hoping to identify where the new strain is, and how quickly its spreading. In Tarrant County, it's forecasted to be a 13% spike. Waco Independent School District also lifted its mask mandate Thursday. Friendship-West Baptist Church is hosting a free-COVID 19 rapid testing clinic, starting today. Fewer than 100 cases of B-A-2 have been reported in the U-S. That's a fraction of the more than 660,000 omicron cases detected in the country in the last week. "I am revising the Dallas County mask order to drop the requirement of wearing a mask in any settings other than jails, long-term care facilities, and healthcare settings," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a statement. How will this affect students involved in extracurricular activities? This number will be updated weekly with the other variants California is currently monitoring on theCDPH Tracking Variants webpage. He says officials will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends and adjust safety protocols as needed. See the, Sign up for COVID-19 exposure notifications from. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the omicron variant accounts for more than 90% of all COVID-19 cases in Texas. 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. this holiday season to protect yourself, your family and your community as you celebrate the holiday season. While an exact timeframe has not been determined, we are temporarily requiring mask be worn. Chang now expects to open more of those units again. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. In other words, a mask-wearing mandate could. There is a fine of up to $1,000 if the order is violated. Indexes measuring production, new orders and shipments all increased this month from levels already well-above average. It's recommended for everyone over six months of age to be vaccinated for the flu. Dallas County Judge stresses importance of boosters. "They came to me with a proposal, and they said, Listen, you know, scale back New Year's Eve. While the omicron variant is still new, Miff said there are a few things that the group knows for sure: it spreads faster than any other variant. Tonight's matchup against Milwaukee would have marked his return from a five-game injury absence, but The Dallas Morning News reports Doncic yesterday entered the NBA's COVID-19 protocols. Just hours after the order was issued, and before it took effect, Abbott and Paxton filed a petition in a state appeals court to block Jenkins actions. The county will then end its mask requirement for large outdoor events such as concerts and sporting events and for outdoor spaces at schools and child-care facilities. There's also been nearly 5,700 deaths during that time. County officials offer guidance here on what activities are safe as the COVID-19 risk level remains high. Share this article. Dallas County to pay mask lawsuit legal fees out of general fund 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. Even if its a lower percentage that are severe illness, with huge numbers that can still lead to increased numbers of hospitalizations.. Genetic sequencing results indicated the infection was caused by the omicron strain, officials say. Richardson also addressed the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Heres what you need to know if youre living, visiting or working in Dallas County: All child care centers, pre-K through 12th grade public schools, public colleges and universities, and businesses including retail stores, restaurants, bars and other offices that provide services to the public are required to develop a health and safety policy that, at a minimum, requires masks. Hotez stressed he's watching for a possible rise in cases and hospitalizations as people gather indoors and meet over the holidays. "We're working to make sure that vaccines are available to anyone who wants a vaccine and also working to make sure that we make it easier for people to get a test so they can determine whether or not they have the new variant or the delta variant whatever the case may be," Abbott said. 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The fight is expected to move quickly through the courts to the Texas Supreme Court, which will get the final say unless a party finds an entry into federal courts. We're also reaching out in this phase of the pandemic to those individuals who might have limited access," said Richardson. Testing is available at the Denton County Public Health building and Westside Baptist Church this week. As universities and colleges reopen this month for the Spring semester, the Texas Faculty Association is concerned for faculty and students amid the surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant. He said patients are facing lengthy delays in emergency rooms while trying to get care. FEMA has distributed nearly $1.8 billion in COVID-19 related funeral assistance to roughly 273,000 people nationwide. A drive-through COVID-19 testing site near Choctaw Stadium in Arlington will close its doors tonight. Dallas County officials have lowered the COVID-19 risk level to Green which means a new normal for fully vaccinated residents. Whitworth stressed a vast majority of the children hospitalized at Cook Children's are unvaccinated. Appointments are required. State officials sue the Biden administration over vaccine mandate affecting Texas National Guard. Each can receive up to $75,000 in funding. If an employee is alone in their office or classroom, they do not need to wear a mask. Neither of the patients traveled internationally and both received two doses of the COVID vaccine. Immunocompromised residents are still strongly encouraged to continue to wear masks in all indoor settings. Residents no longer need to wear masks in public settings except jails, long-term care facilities and health care settings. COVID-19 claims the lives of 51Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days). Texas jobless claims hit another record low since the start of the pandemic. As COVID-19 numbers continue to drop, Dallas County Commissioner J.J. Koch is calling for an end to the mask mandate. The committee also wants to limit public gatherings and enforce universal masking. ONLY FOR THIS STORY The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say most healthy Americans do not need to wear a mask indoors in counties that are not at a high COVID-19 risk level, ( Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune, Kaylee Greenlee for The Texas Tribune). The post-Thanksgiving bump, we got over that, and with the holidays less testing's happening, labs are closed, or less staff are there, people are just enjoying the holiday time, he said. First-time jobless claims in Texas jumped to more than 18,000 last week. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mark a new stage of the pandemic by loosening masking guidelines, Dallas County has quickly scaled back its mask mandate. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to tighten U.S. testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. The CDC and Dallas County Health officials have raised the COVID-19 alert to level red and reported that hospitalizations are rising at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, among all age groups, including children. Dallas County is once again under a mask mandate as COVID-19 delta variant cases and hospitalizations soar. Dallas County District 6 hosts a free COVID-19 vaccine event. Capistrano Unified School District will go mask optional starting March 14, spokesman Ryan Burris said. . Dallas landlords must provide "COVID notice of possible eviction" before requiring a tenant to vacate. See thedata forunvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Currently, Dallas has eight players in the NHL's COVID-protocol, along with two support staff members. Rodriguez said the demand for COVID-19 vaccines has also gone down, and most of the shots administered in recent weeks have been for second and third doses. "We should be really cautious here in Texas and continue to practice those preventive and protective behaviors that we have become so familiar with, Fischer said. Tarrant County sees rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations. UT-Austin's COVID Modeling Consortium based its projections on the omicron variant's transmissibility, severity, and the population's immunity from prior infections and vaccinations. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is offering up to $5,000 in hiring bonuses for several health care positions in an effort to address staffing shortages at state-supported living centers and state hospitals. FEMA is set to open six COVID-19 testing centers in Texas. Sherry Christian, Deputy Chief of Staff with Dallas ISD, updated Dallas City Council members Monday. For outdoor events with more than 10,000 people, there is no vaccination requirement but masks or negative tests are recommended. If a tenant doesn't proceed with the repayment agreement, the landlord can once again go through the eviction process. Jenkins, however, said that masks are an effective tool in slowing the virus, and that the mandate is a necessary public health measure. A little over 60% of eligible people in Dallas County are fully vaccinated. The model released yesterday shows Dallas County could see more than 1,200 hospitalizations by the end of the month. Masks are required in all Dallas County government buildings. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. Heres What You Need To Know. "So be thinking about strokes and heart attacks and babies with fewer nurses being able to respond with increasing infections. Texas health agency offers signing bonuses to address staffing shortages at state hospitals. Dallas County opens up four new drive-thru testing sites this week. A federal court in Texas has closed the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for federal workers. There have been 74,685COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Bobby Wilkinson, with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, gave an update Thursday on how much money has been distributed through the Texas Rent Relief Program. Face Coverings Required Effective Tuesday, August 10, to protect staff and students from the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, Dallas ISD is requiring all staff, students and visitors to wear masks when on district property. And others have been like, we shouldnt even be at school. Preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show there were about 770,000 out-of-work Texans in Oct. That's down from the peak of roughly 1.7 million in April 2020. Similarly, Huang said, deaths are also afflicting non-vaccinated people way more than those whove had the shot. Polk Center for Academically Talented and Gifted, Lenore Kirk Hall Personalized Learning Academy at Oak Cliff, Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa M.D. PUBLISHED 9:56 PM CT Feb. 25, 2022. It is unclear if Doncic will be on the starting lineup for the game against The Utah Jazz on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Dallas County will continue offering $25 gift cards to those getting a COVID-19 vaccine. A federal judge blocked the requirement last week. Dallas County revises mask mandate after updated CDC guidance Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton are asking Texas' 5th Court of Appeals to block Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins' newly issued mask mandate, they announced in a joint press. The best stories from KERA sent to your inbox. State and local officials are investigating omicron's arrival in Texas. Governor Abbott is suing the Biden administration to block a vaccine requirement that applies to Texas National Guard members. Gavin Newsoms administration brought back the masking mandate in mid-December as omicron gained momentum and last month extended the requirement through Feb. 15. One thing that were doing is really trying to ramp up our sequencing efforts very quickly," said Shuford. "A shortage of staff in our hospitals. "This is going to squeeze our hospital staff. In a lengthy Twitter thread, Jenkins urged people in Dallas County to get vaccinated, get the booster shot, wear surgical masks or N95s outside of the household, consider using drive up and delivery services to shop, and work remotely, if possible. Hospitalizations have dropped 5%. This is for all of us, we are all team public health and the enemy is the virus and right now the enemy is winning, Jenkins said. So this is all great news," said health director Vinny Taneja. Pediatric COVID admissions at Cook Children's hospital have more than tripled in the past week. UPDATED AT 7:30 p.m. with additional guidance from the new Dallas County mask mandate and a response from Jenkins legal team to Abbott and Paxton. 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The Crowley school district today begins a two-week, temporary mask mandate. Elementary School, Dallas Hybrid Preparatory at Stephen J. Hay, Downtown Montessori at Ida B. Jenkins is the latest official to defy Gov. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says fully vaccinated and boosted residents can now safely go about activities such as concerts, restaurants and other crowded events. The Health and Safety Policy required to be developed and implemented No comment so far on any of that, but a spokesperson with the Attorney General's office did say Paxton's working from home. Dan Patrick is completing a self-quarantine after contracting COVID-19 with mild symptoms. The county has already been distributing Walmart gift cards, as well as other incentives, at certain vaccine clinics. Abbott and Paxton have argued the Texas Disaster Act gives full power to the governor over all governmental entities during a disaster. 2022 at 4:53 PM CDT Facebook; Twitter; That's more than double the number administrators expect during non-COVID years. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, shown here at DFW International Airport in 2017, has made it clear that, yes, the county will be using the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center as a temporary hospital. The decision came not long after the CDC released new metrics to determine when masks. While she sometimes misses home, she's happy to have escaped the humidity. Published February 26, 2022 Dallas County FOX 4 DALLAS - Shortly after the CDC updated its recommendation for masks Friday, Dallas County revised its mask mandate, basically. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who leads the Commissioners Court and has. Abbott has repeatedly said it is time for Texans to take personal responsibility to wear masks, and that he doesnt believe its the governments duty to require them. All tickets for Friday's scheduled home game will be valid for the rescheduled date. The district plans to deep clean facilities during the closure. Dallas ISD boosting substitute pay, shuffling staff to cover teacher absences. Will the district provide masks to students and staff? Dallas County drops mask mandate for most residents | wfaa.com The committee ends its letter asking Jenkins and the Dallas County Commissioners for help in increasing the vaccination rate, including booster shots, and expanding COVID-19 testing. Jenkins says as of today, 60% of Dallas county residents are fully vaccinated and 20% are boosted. COVID-19 hospitalizations have already been trending up in Texas over the last week or so. Tarrant County Public Health director Vinny Taneja told county commissioners Tuesday that COVID-19 data is currently stagnant in the region. No staffed pediatric ICU beds were left in all of North Texas, according to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, but local childrens hospitals said that number is in flux. But thats not now, she added. "In December of 2021, even before the omicron variant hit Texas, 78% of our restaurants reported that they did not have enough employees to support existing customer demand.". The positivity remains very very high, so that's telling us we're still in the thick of it," he said. The risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection continues as a number of Californians remain unvaccinated. He expects them to be distributed by the end of the month. The program stopped accepting new applications in November due to overwhelming demand. It's not so much that we don't have beds available. Federal officials are extending the requirement for masks on planes and public transportation for one more month through mid-April while taking steps that could lead to lifting the The woman is in her 40s and had no recent travel history, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said on Twitter. The ordinance gives a tenant 21 days after receiving the notice to provide evidence of being negatively impacted by the pandemic. Richardson ISD has closed Bowie Elementary School today and tomorrow for similar reasons. His campaign says he tested positive last week, quarantined at home where he continues to work, and now tests negative. Throughout the pandemic, political battles have raged over mask mandates in the state. According to the latest data from the Department of State Health Services, just under 59% of Texas' eligible population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All K-12 public schools, child care centers and commercial entities in Dallas County must require masks, according to an emergency order issued by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins Wednesday . Texas has one of the highest pandemic death tolls in the U-S, with more than 79,000 deaths associated with COVID-19. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new system reflects a belief that the country has entered a different phase of the pandemic. Statewide masking requirements eased for much of the population Feb. 15, but not for schools. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Texas' COVID-19 death toll surpasses 81,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.