Frances Tingle
Dallas Is Experiencing Record-Breaking Numbers Due To The Holidays & Omicron Variant, Universities Are Going Virtual, Where To Get Tested & More.
Happy Monday, Dallas.
This is the time where we usually give you our Things To Do column, but considering how the pandemic situation is going in Dallas leading to events getting cancelled left and right, it didn’t feel right to continue the series right now.
For the time being, we’re bringing back COVID Briefs, so you (and we) can be informed on this hellish world.
- On Friday, January 7, Dallas county reported 6,589 new cases — the second day in a row of record-breaking numbers. Thursday, January 6 saw 6,310 cases. According to Dallas Morning News, county officials are hopeful this omicron spike will peak the next couple weeks, but that’s not a certainty.
- With the holidays being a culprit for the surge of cases, colleges and universities are switching back to online for the start of the spring semester. Many announced that classes will be online through the month and are requiring negative test results for when students do return to in-person instruction. At UT Dallas, most classes will be offered virtually through February 4 and students will be notified if their course is offered in-person. Texas Woman’s are having faculty modify courses as needed for the first three weeks back, but the campus and its offices will remain open.
- Anti-vax podcaster Doug Kuzma died on January 3 after being exposed at a right-wing conspiracy conference in Dallas. The conference/super-spreader event, ReAwaken America, happened on the weekend of December 11 and attendees blamed their sickness on an anthrax attack.
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd tested positive. Assistant coach Sean Sweeney stepped in for last Friday’s game.
- Recycling pickups have been delayed due to sanitation workers being infected. The department advised that pickups may be a day late for the next few weeks.
Testing sites:
Dallas Fair Park Lot 13
2024 Gaisford Street, Fair Park – Lot 13
Dallas 75210
Opening: January 12
Monday-Sunday: 7:30 a.m – 4:00 p.m
Samuell Grand Aquatic Center
3201 Samuell Boulevard
Dallas 75223
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center
5150 Mark Trail Way
Dallas 75232
Opening: January 11
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
Mountain View College
4849 West Illinois Avenue, Stadium Parking Lot
Dallas 75211
Monday-Saturday: 7:30 a.m – 6:00 p.m
Royal Lane Baptist Church
6707 Royal Lane
Dallas 75230
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
Trinity View Park
2221 East State Highway 356
Irving 75060
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m- 5:00 p.m
Pioneer Event Center
1025 West Pioneer Parkway
Grand Prairie 75051
Monday-Sunday: 8:00 a.m – 6:00 p.m
Las Colinas WellHealth
5260 N O’Connor Boulevard Suite 170
Irving 75039
Rapid City Healthcare
800 West Airport Freeway #100
Irving 75062
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m – 8:00 p.m
Dallas College North Lake Campus
2000 West Walnut Hill Lane
Irving 75038
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m – 4:00 p.m