Dallas County Passes 100,000 COVID-19 Cases, Voter Mask Requirement Debates Continue, TABC Pulls Four Area Liquor Licenses For Safety Violations & More.

The big news this week? Dallas County finally passed the 100,000 COVID-19 case mark this week.

Honestly, we never thought it would get this far. But, here we are, seemingly hitting a new milestone every week. How fun!

Per usual, let’s round up all the coronavirus-related news you need to know this week below. First, though, please be sure to check out this past Tuesday’s collection of updates, where we talk about how Texas has leapt past California to take the lease in coronavirus case counts by state.

  • Dallas County has reported 656 additional cases and four deaths on Thursday. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Dallas County to 95,402, and the death toll to 1,108. Dallas County also reported another 91 probable cases.

 

  • As of  Thursday, 4317 of  5880 total hospital beds were occupied, bringing the total occupancy to 73 percent. Also: 686 of 911 ICU beds are filled, and 343 of Dallas’ 988 ventilators are in use.

  • Dallas County now has now officially passed the 100,000 COVID case mark. These cases are both probable and confirmed cases, so we haven’t hit 100,000 confirmed cases just yet. Still, Dallas County is the second Texas county to hit this mark after Harris County. Officials also this week told the Dallas Morning News why they don’t report on recovered cases, saying that is not an official measurement used by the CDC.
  • Courts keep waffling on mask requirements for all Texas polling locations. Just last week, we were worried about whether masks are worn properly by voters at polling locations. Then U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam ruled against a Gov. Greg Abbot executive order that said that people didn’t have to wear a mask to vote. Pulliam, the first Black judge to serve in the federal court in San Antonio, said the order violated the Voting Rights Act by creating a burden on Black and Latino voters who have been hit hard by the pandemic. Alas, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on Pulliam’s order late on Wednesday, so the debate will rage on.
  • Four more Dallas restaurant-bars have had their liquor licenses revoked for breaking COVID rules. The Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission penalized High Fives, XOXO Dining Room, Shuck N Jive and Alamo Club for breaking protocol by revoking their liquor licenses for 30 days. While these restaurant-bars do not have to close during this period, all have chosen to do so except for Shuck N Jive, which is continuing to serve food to-go per the Dallas Morning News. For its part, XOXO Dining Room is suing the TABC over its punishment, with the DMN saying the lawsuit called the suspension order a “charade.”
  • A Frisco memory care facility reported six COVID-related deaths in the last two days. This tragic news was reported by Denton County Public Health on Wednesday. The facility, Saddle Brook Memory Care Community, was not the only one to report deaths, either. The Denton State Supported Living Center and Mayberry Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care each reported a death of their own as well. This serves as another sobering reminder of the dangerous effects COVID-19 can have on our morevvulnerable populations.
  • A Plano company is breaking ground for a new office building, despite pandemic hardships. Primeria Cos. is one of the few projects that have reached this level because of the coronavirus. The project has been in the works since last year and is set to open next September. The building is set to be 80,000 square feet with over two dozen offices.
  • Dallas bar The Old Monk is adding a coffee shop element to combat these difficult times. Owner Feargal McKinney decided to says his pub plans to serve nitro cold brew through its beer taps, and has added an espresso machines in the middle of its bar.

Check back in with us for more coronavirus-related Dallas news updates next Tuesday. In the meantime, please stay masked up and maintain social distance whenever possible.

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