As a statewide mask mandate is still in effect and a possible second shutdown looms, data from Texas’ urban counties show that recoveries far outweigh deaths from the Chinese coronavirus.
Two weeks ago, North Texas’ Tarrant County public health director, Dr. Vinny Taneja, reported that recoveries far exceeded deaths and the younger population showed a resilience to the disease.
Taneja also reported that deaths from the Chinese coronavirus were “trending down.”
For the third week in a row, these trends are holding true.
Tarrant County’s updated total reported recoveries from the virus increased to 6,187—up 22 percent from last week’s total. Deaths slightly increased from last week’s report of 225 to 238—5 percent higher.
Overall, however, the amount of deaths from the virus in Tarrant are trending down.
High recoveries and low deaths are being mirrored in other counties across the state as of Monday afternoon.
- Bexar County reported totals of 5,766 recoveries and 130 deaths.
- Collin County reported 2,682 recoveries and 46 deaths.
- Denton County reported 1,231 recoveries and 37 deaths.
- Harris County reported 12,063 recoveries and 400 deaths.
- Travis County reported 8,460 recoveries and 137 deaths.
Throughout the entire state of Texas—whose population is over 29 million—there are 195,239 cases of the virus reported, 2,637 deaths, and 100,843 estimated recoveries.
Bexar, Denton, Tarrant, and Travis counties also report deaths by age range. This data confirms Taneja’s report that those over 65 and those with underlying conditions are at “high risk” from the virus.
Dallas County does not track recoveries or have an online dashboard to provide regular updates, but they still reported 395 deaths yesterday out of 25,840 reported cases—meaning there are roughly 65 times more reported cases than deaths.
“We’re not going back and contacting everyone to see if they have recovered,” Dallas County’s Director of Health and Human Services Dr. Phillip Huang previously told county commissioners. “But … if we know they have passed away, then the other ones probably have recovered.”
Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price lobbied for recoveries to be reported.
Counties are not required by state law to report recoveries, but several are following Tarrant in doing so.
“The fact is that most of the people who get COVID-19 will recover,” Richard Hill of Tarrant County Public Health previously told Texas Scorecard.
Despite these incredibly encouraging numbers, as of last Friday, Texas is under a statewide mask mandate—something Dallas’ Democrat County Judge Clay Jenkins had been leading other Texas Democrats to push for.
The mandate has drawn strong criticism from grassroots voters and elected Republicans across the state. Ector County’s Republican Party voted Sunday to censure Gov. Greg Abbott for issuing the order.
Meanwhile, Jenkins and other Democrat elected officials are now pushing for another statewide shutdown and a nationwide mask mandate.
Voters concerned about the mask mandate policy or another shutdown may contact their elected state pepresentative, state senator, and the governor’s office.
