City of Dallas COVID-19 Update: March 29

Dear City of Dallas Partner:

The following is an update on the City’s planning and preparedness efforts regarding COVID-19, as of March 29, 2020. Today Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center (KBHCC) will serve as a Federal Medical Station (FMS). The FMS is an asset that will provide additional hospital beds with clinical and support staff.

Positive cases of COVID-19

• 488 in Dallas County – 49 are new
• 129 in Collin County
• 128 in Tarrant County
• 148 in Denton County
• 2 in Kaufman County
• 3 in Rockwall County
• 10 in Ellis County

Lab Reports
As of 5:00 p.m. the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management has received a report from five labs. Below are the numbers for today, Sunday, March 29, 2020:

934 COVID-19 tests

125 positive

840 negative

Community Based Testing Sites – The numbers reported from the two community based testing sites for March 28 are as follows:

American Airlines Center		Ellis Davis Field House
Total number of individuals:   349		Total number of individuals:  205
Total tested: 250		Total tested: 174

Below are testing from labs numbers to date:

Total Tests to date by DCHHS		438
Total active cases		488
Total deaths		10
Total recovered		2

*Numbers as of March 13, 2020 to date, since the Mayor’s order went into effect

Updates from Dallas County

• Dallas County also discussed the most recent positive COVID-19 cases outlined below:
  • Today Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) reported 49 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the total case count in Dallas County to 488.
  • The tenth death from COVID-19 was also reported, of a woman in her 80’s who had been a resident in a long-term care facility. This individual had been hospitalized and had other high-risk chronic health conditions.
  • Of cases requiring hospitalization to date, about two-thirds (65%) have been either over 60 years of age or have had at least one known high-risk chronic health condition. 
  • Hospitalizations from COVID-19 are increasing, with 36% of all hospitalized patients requiring admission to intensive care units.

City Operations

• On March 24, we shared with you the interest in bringing a Federal Medical Stations (FMS) to serve as an overflow hospital. Since that time the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been in conversation with the State and the Department of Health and Human Services on this project. Supplies and material for the hospital was received Saturday night and this afternoon Gov. Abbott announced that he is ordering the setup of a 250-bed overflow hospital at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center (KBHCC).
  • This evening we received confirmation that a 225 person medical team from the Navy would be available to support and operate the hospital. At this time, the Navy and HHS are confirming the mission – housing low acuity facility for COVID-19 patients.
  • A Texas military forces strike team of 12 will arrive in Dallas on Tuesday, March 31 to set up the hospital. The Navy and our medical community will have a discussion on the operational plan for the hospital and the trigger on when to operationalize the hospital.
  • This is a fast moving mission and project and there are still many details to be agreed upon and worked out. We will keep you updated as we learn more information and finalize this operation.
• Due to expected inclement weather conditions, Dallas is canceling COVID-19 testing on Monday, March 30 at both community-based test sites, located at the American Airlines Center and Ellis Davis Field House. Testing will resume on Tuesday, March 31 at 8 a.m.  Testing sites will begin operating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning March 31, 2020.
• Attached are two maps of the CBTS to show the individuals tested by regions.
• Dallas parks and trails are overcrowded despite shelter-at-home and social distancing regulations being in effect. The Dallas Park and Recreation Department (PKR) is taking steps to limit the public’s access to parks with barricades at many entrances and limited vehicular traffic. Two popular parks are experiencing the most increased usage – Katy Trail and White Rock Lake.
• Park Rangers are monitoring parks and trail usage to ensure compliance with the six-feet safe distance requirement. The City’s Code Enforcement and Parking Enforcement and the Dallas Marshall’s Office will assist Dallas Park and Recreation with enforcement.
• Park officials said overcrowding at City parks and trails could force the department to close all trails and 397 parks. Park officials said they are prepared to take this drastic step immediately if the public will not voluntarily comply with social distancing requirements.
• In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department of Transportation is adjusting the following operations in the Parking Management and Enforcement division.
  • All metered parking around restaurant carry-out businesses will be free for the first 45 minutes. This will allow for restaurants to continue to operate in a carry-out mode without the customers receiving parking tickets. The 45-minute parking duration with be monitored by parking enforcement officers driving vehicles equipped with license plate reading (LPR) technology.  This will ensure extended parking not take place in these carry-out pickup areas by digitally marking the tires parked at these locations. The Department has worked with Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), the Deep Ellum Foundation (DEF), and business owners in Bishop Arts to establish these carry-out areas.
  • The Department of Transportation is taking preventative measures to ensure the safety and health of our citizens by making every effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19 through contact. Parking transactions at every meter in the City do not require the need for people to touch the parking meter. All parking meters have been tagged with a digital zone number, enforceable by LPR and parking transactions can be made via the PARKMOBILE app.  As part of our commitment to help protect the Dallas community, we are offering parkers one free parking session when using the mobile payment app.  Just use the promo code BESAFE when starting a transaction.
  • The majority of parking enforcement team has been reassigned to support two separate City functions at the current time: 1) The signs & markings division of the Department of Transportation has needed additional resources to keep up with the high volume of requested signs. This redeployment of parking enforcement officers has helped with the manufacturing of signage needed for COVID-19 operations as well as manufacturing and installing of additional regulatory signage. 2) The Park and Recreation Department is supporting the Chief Park Ranger in the enforcement of social distancing in parks and on trails throughout the city.

As always, please reach out to my office if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Best regards,

Eric Johnson   Mayor  City of Dallas   1500 Marilla Street, 5EN Dallas, TX 75201   O:  214-670-3301   [email protected]