Denton County Public Health announced this week that eight more county residents’ deaths were determined to have been a result of COVID-19, bringing the countywide COVID-19 death toll to 686.
The deaths reported this week include a Denton man in his 30s, a Highland Village man in his 40s, a Little Elm man in his 40s, a Denton man in his 60s, a Corinth woman in her 70s, a Denton man over 80, a Denton woman over 80 and a Pilot Point woman over 80.
“We ask that you keep the family and friends of these individuals in your thoughts and prayers,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “As we see high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations and intensive care utilization across our community, we strongly urge all community members to protect themselves against severe illness and death through COVID-19 vaccination.”
DCPH only rules a resident’s death as a COVID-19 death if it is determined that the person died as a direct result of COVID-19. Actual dates of death can be released several days to several months after the date of death, due to various reporting agencies and medical records review.
This week, the active case count surpassed the previous pandemic peak, which was 15,387 on Jan. 29, 2021. The numbers have been climbing since a surge in early July, when the active case count was only 1,444 on July 6. The surge has slowed, and health officials believe it will plateau soon, but the active case count has grown to 16,150 on Friday, according to DCPH data.
Hospital capacity continues to concern local officials. As of Friday, 89% of all inpatient hospital beds in Denton County are occupied, and only one ICU bed is available.
People with compromised immune systems who already got two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can now get a third shot to boost their protection from COVID-19. DCPH has revised the Vaccine Interest Portal to allow individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for a third dose to register for upcoming DCPH vaccination clinics.
To minimize spread of COVID-19, DCPH urges all unvaccinated community members to:
- Maintain at least six feet of physical distance in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wear masks or face coverings, which should cover both the nose and mouth, in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wash and/or sanitize hands frequently
- Stay home if you are symptomatic, have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, or are awaiting COVID-19 test results
- If you are 12 years old or over, get your COVID-19 vaccine
If you are fully vaccinated, CDC recommends mask use in public indoor spaces.
If you are severely immunocompromised, consider an additional dose of mRNA vaccine after your initial two doses.
Click here for more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Denton County. For additional COVID-19 data including active case information by municipality, hospital capacity, and ventilator utilization, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVIDstats.
For information regarding DCPH’s upcoming testing centers, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19testing.
For additional COVID-19 health and safety recommendations, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19.
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