Dallas County's Public Health Committee moved the county's COVID-19 risk level to red Tuesday, signaling a 鈥渉igh risk of transmission.鈥�
The county also through Dec. 23, many of which are tied to the more transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports variant as the dominant strain in the U.S. this week.
鈥淥ne of the things with this omicron variant is just how fast it鈥檚 spreading,鈥� said Dr. Philip Huang, director of . 鈥淚t was first identified just a little over three weeks ago in the United States, and already it鈥檚 become the dominant strain that鈥檚 circulating. For delta, it took about three months.鈥�
Increase in hospitalizations and cases moved the risk level to the highest for the county
The COVID-19 risk level is a tool for the Dallas County Public Health Committee to and indicate which activities are safe for residents. Dallas County has been at the orange level, which indicates a 鈥渕oderate risk of transmission,鈥� since the fall.
The public health committee urged the change because of a sharp rise in cases, as well as the current strain on hospitals. In a , the committee reported more than 25% of emergency room visits over the last few days have been related to COVID-19, with more adult and pediatric COVID patients being admitted.
鈥淭he hospital emergency departments are [recording] numbers as high as they鈥檝e seen throughout the whole pandemic,鈥� Huang said. 鈥淭he percentage that are being admitted [is] not as high as it鈥檚 been at our peak, but with these record numbers of cases, it鈥檚 extremely concerning.鈥�
Many health care leaders are also predicting a surge in cases tied to the omicron variant in January and February.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e learned throughout this is that things can pivot on a dime,鈥� Huang said.
'How this plays out depends on how we as a community respond'
The committee recommends a few key mitigation strategies, including increasing vaccination rates, opening more community testing sites, limiting large gatherings and encouraging mask-wearing in public.
鈥淗ow this plays out depends on how we as a community respond,鈥� Huang said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shown we can slow this down when everyone does these things 鈥� get vaccinated, wear a mask, avoid crowds. A lot of how the next couple weeks will be depends on how everyone does.鈥�
He encourages people to avoid large gatherings for New Year鈥檚, as crowded indoor events with poor ventilation are 鈥渘ot a good idea.鈥�
Accessing a COVID-19 test
The if you have been exposed to someone who tested positive, if you鈥檙e showing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have been in close spaces where social distancing was not possible.
Most pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS provide COVID-19 testing by appointment, although many do not currently have same-day appointments due to demand. The Texas Department of State Health Services has also compiled across the state. Pharmacies and online retailers sell at-home rapid tests, and federal officials have compiled an online list of .
Two Dallas College drive-through testing locations are . One is at Mountain View Campus, located at 4849 W. Illinois Ave, and the other is at Richland Campus, 12800 Abrams Rd. Both are open Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. 鈥� 6:00 p.m.
Parkland Hospital has opened community-based clinics by appointment. People can get scheduled by calling the COVID-19 patient line at 214-590-8060, or by visiting their .
For and , people can get COVID-19 testing by scheduling with a primary care doctor.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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