Short-Staffed Schools, Record High Of Child Hospitalizations, Amari Cooper Violates Protocols & Rap Prankster Thinks He’s Funny. Plus More.

Dallas County keeps on breaking the worst possible record. The number of new COVID cases in a single day reached another all-time high last Friday Jan. 14 at 8,483 cases. It took a week to surpass Jan. 7’s number of 6,589 cases.

The Dallas Morning News reported that we’re still at least a week away from the peak of the omicron variant, so it’s safe to say 8,483 won’t be the largest number Dallas sees. Overall, the county’s case total is 488,995 — 406,605 of those are confirmed and 82,390 are probable. The death toll is 5,658 with last Friday reporting 9 deaths that day.

Needless to say shit is bleak, and as you know, these cases don’t exist in a vacuum and are affecting every aspect of daily life. Here are the briefs for this week.

  • A bunch of North Texas schools are closing due to outbreaks leading to staff shortages. Mesquite, Grapevine-Colleyville, Birdville and Greenville ISD are just some of the school districts that have had to cancel school days. Classes should be back in session sometime between January 18 and 20 depending on the school. The situation has resorted to parents being asked to fill in for staff.
  • WFAA reported Friday that hospitalizations in Tarrant County reached 1,414 and that COVID-19 patients make up 31% of total hospital bed capacity. There were also 9,957 new cases reported Thursday.
  • Also via WFAA, Denton County reported 198 hospitalizations, making it the 16th day in a row where the number of hospitalizations has stayed above 100. On Thursday, 1,549 new cases were reported.
  • The Dallas Observer wrote a piece about Glenn Beck, conservative political commentator and founder of Dallas-based network TheBlaze, getting the virus for the second time while still being anti-vax. While on Mark Levin’s radio show, he said the zinc the medications he’s taking (that are not meant to treat COVID, of course) is fighting off the virus. Why these people are against the actual science behind COVID prevention but will die on the hill of some other made-up science is beyond us.
  • The number of children hospitalized with the virus at Cook Children’s is higher than ever. There are 69 patients and nine waiting for open beds. As of Jan. 5, only 25% of eligible children in the U.S got at least one dose of the vaccine. Kids ages 5 to 11 are strongly encouraged to receive it.
  • ICYMI, this guy showed off his rap skills at Dallas City Council. Scrolling through Twitter, you’ll see a lot of anti-vaxxers who are trying so hard to convince themselves that it’s a piece of amazing satire — proving that their judgment is questionable in more ways than one.

  • The Dallas Symphony Orchestra had some cases among crucial players, leading to abridged concerts and new audience protocols. The DSO is also offering tests onsite before shows for those who don’t have proof of vaccination or a recent negative test.
  • Cowboys’ Amari Cooper was fined for attending a Mavericks game unvaccinated, according to ESPN. The wide receiver’s attendance violated the NFL’s COVID protocols and he was fined $14,650. Unvaccinated players can go to sporting events if in a luxury suite with a mask and not surrounded by more than ten people, but Cooper sat courtside. He missed two games earlier this season when he got infected.
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