Around the State
Special to The Dallas Examiner
Dallas County Judge asks governor to issue stay-at-home order
The Texas Tribune
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend, requesting that the governor consider a list of recommendations from a citywide public health committee, such as instituting a 30-day stay-at-home order and mandating masks.
“I recommend that you enact these requirements statewide, or at the very least, regionally. If not, please rescind your prior order restricting local control and allow Dallas County to implement the above recommendations in an effort to slow the spread of the rampant and devastating COVID-19 virus,” Jenkins wrote in a letter Saturday. “Lives depend on swift action.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has not publicly weighed in on whether he supports the governor reauthorizing local officials to implement stay-at-home directives. The mayor has asked Abbott to consider implementing a statewide mask policy and adopting a statewide or regional approach to curbing the spread of the virus in an attempt to minimize confusion and increase compliance, according to a spokesperson in Johnson’s office.
COVID cases continues to reach record highs
This week, as June came to an end, Dallas County reported between 403-572 new cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus each day – about twice the number of cases at the end of May. The county reported 21,338 total COVID cases, including a record number of 201 deaths on Tuesday, bring the state’s total to 373 deaths as of June 30.
An increasing proportion of COVID-19 cases in the county are being diagnosed in young adults between 18 to 39 years of age. On June 1, more than half of those diagnosed were in this age group. A growing number of reported cases have been associated with multiple large recreational and social gatherings since the beginning of June, including house parties.
More than 2/3 of the hospitalization cases reported have been under 65 years of age, and about 1/2 do not have any high-risk chronic health conditions. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about 1/3 of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
The age-adjusted rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases in non-hospitalized patients have been highest among Hispanics (667.4 per 100,000), Asians (187.4 per 100,000) and Blacks (136.4 per 100,000). These rates have been higher than Whites (43.8 per 100,000).
“Today we have our highest number of reported cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County, and this weekend for the first time, our weekend reporting numbers went up,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Monday. Normally our weekend reporting numbers go way down as some hospitals don’t report. Our numbers went from 571 to 611 COVID-19 cases in the hospital for Dallas County. Hopefully, this is because the hospitals have made it a point to increase accuracy of weekend reporting, but either way the numbers are of great concern. Everyone should wear a mask 100% of the time when you’re around people outside your home.”
City of Dallas seeks resident input on accessory dwelling units
The City of Dallas is exploring the possibility of allowing accessory dwelling units in all neighborhoods throughout the city. The Sustainable Development and Construction Department is seeking input from residents regarding accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats, garage apartments, back houses or mother-in-law quarters.
Visit http://www.dallascitynews.net to share input about the project. The survey will be open through July 7.
City staff will be working with the Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee during the summer to discuss possible changes to allow ADUs in Dallas. To learn more about the ADU process, visit https://dallascityhall.com/departments/sustainabledevelopment/planning/Pages/Accessory_Dwelling_Units.aspx.
J.J. Rhoads pre-K scholarships
Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year is now underway at Joseph J. Rhoads. Dallas ISD is offering scholarships for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds to attend J.J. Rhoads All-Day Learning Center in South Dallas at no cost starting this August. The scholarship guidelines are designed to increase opportunity by making early learning available to more Dallas families.
Criteria:
- Dallas ISD’s historical academic needs, as identified in district data (currently identified as African American students).
- Expanded income bracket: meet scholarship income guidelines.
- English language proficiency. Families of all races and ethnicities may request that their 3- or 4- year-old be tested for English proficiency.
To submit an application, visit http://prekdallas.org. Anyone who have questions or needs additional help can call the Pre-K Enrollment Hotline at 214-932-7735 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or text PREK to 972-687-7735.
Dallas Fire and Rescue
Dallas Fire and Rescue announced Monday that as of June 29, a total of 46 firefighters and civilian employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Within the department, 61 individuals are in quarantine for on and off-duty exposures. It also reported that 25 workers have fully recovered and returned to work.