Coronavirus Briefs: The Latest Updates In Dallas.

Dallas County Reached A New Record High In Both Cases And Deaths On Tuesday, A Testing Site Closes While Another Is Set To Open And So Much More.

Quite a lot has unfolded from the last time we touched base on Coronavirus-related news in Dallas. Did we mention it’s only been a week?

Let’s dive into some of the most significant updates and developments as of late. 

• On Tuesday, Dallas reached a new record of 601 additional positive cases, which brings the total to 20,737 cases in the county. It also became the deadliest day for Dallas since the pandemic began at 20 reported deaths. Despite earlier hypotheses that young people were largely unaffected by the virus, more than half of recorded cases since June 1 have been from the 18-40 age bracket.
  

  .@DCHHS reports 601 cases and 20 deaths. Today we’ve surpassed 600 new cases of #COVID19 for the first time, having surpassed 300 cases only 20 days ago. Additionally, this is our deadliest day thus far in the outbreak. pic.twitter.com/3sX6ZhjZMz

  — Clay Jenkins (@JudgeClayJ) June 30, 2020

• The drive-thru testing site at the American Airlines Center will close after June 30. A new testing site will open in Irving at the University of Dallas on July 1. Testing will continue at the Ellis Field House for now, where non-Dallas residents can be testes until July 14. After that, both of these testing sites will only be available for Dallas County residents and will require address verification like a utility bill or similar documentation. This news comes after testing sites across the state have been overwhelmed with statewide rises in case counts. 
• Gov. Greg Abbott backtracked on phases of reopening after surges of cases throughout the state. On Friday, after Abbott issued an executive order to close all bars, river-rafting/tube rental business and reinstated a 50% dine-in restaurant capacity. Though the governor initially criticized young people for not taking the virus seriously, he did express regret over prematurely reopening bars in texas. He has now paused any additional reopening procedures in the state. This action was followed by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ contacting Abbott about potentially reinstating the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order and additional actions to control the spread of COVID-19. 
• Bar owners are planning to sue Gov. Abbott for shutting them down suddenly last Friday. Several bar owners in Dallas, Frisco and Fort Worth are arguing that Abbott’s June 26 order is vague, ambiguous and violates rights of bars. They claim bars should be treated in the same respect as restaurants and thus be allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
• Other counties and cities follow Dallas County’s lead in requiring face masks in all businesses that offer goods and services. On June 25, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley ordered mandatory use of masks in all businesses. The city of Denton passed a face mask ordinance that went into effect on Friday with McKinney not far behind, as it became the first city in Collin County to adopt a face mask order on Monday.
• Early voting officially began on June 29, and a number of safety precautions will be in place to keep voters and poll workers safe. Dallas County Votes put together a health protocol guide that outlines safety measures that will be enforced at polling locations. Earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a push by Texas Democrats to expand absentee voting to all Texans due to the ongoing pandemic. 

That’s all for now. Expect another round of updates later this week.

Until then please wear a damn mask, wash your hands and stay home when possible.