Dallas County reports additional COVID-19 coronavirus death, 14 new cases on Tuesday

Dallas County reported another death from COVID-19 coronavirus and 14 new cases on Tuesday.

A woman in her 70s from Dallas died from the virus, making her the fifth death in the county. Officials said she had been hospitalized and also had other high-risk chronic health conditions.

The updates came on the first day of Dallas County’s mandatory stay-at-home order.

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“I want to thank all of our residents for your courage and sacrifice. You are safer at home. By everyone following the “Stay Home Stay Safe” order we will save lives together and return to normal sooner,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins in a statement.

With day one of the 11-day shelter at home order ending, officials say people are definitely taking it seriously.

Dallas County leads the state in coronavirus cases, leaving some to wonder if and when the shelter at home - will be extended.

“My reports from all of our officers who are out there, people are doing what we asked them to do,” Jenkins said. “That is so important because that keeps you safe and keeps your neighbors safe.”

It’s a new way of operating in Dallas County. It was pretty evident if you looked around Dallas Tuesday. Empty streets and businesses were a common sight.

Only essential employees can go to work until April 3. Everyone else has been ordered to shelter at home. Things like going to the grocery store, ordering to-go and other essential errands are allowed.

Jenkins says while Governor Greg Abbott has not issued a statewide shelter at home, North Texas, for the most part, is showing a unified front.

“Around 5 of the 7.6 million who live in North Texas are under the same order or similar if not identical to the one Dallas passed,” he said. “These are hard decisions. I understand that. But we have to be guided by the science.”

Jenkins and head of Dallas County Health and Human Services, Dr. Phil Huang, said in a press conference Tuesday if anyone in your house has a positive case of COVID-19, you are presumed to have it as well. They said you should not go out and get tested.

"If you have a household contact, someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the whole household needs to stay at home,” Huang said.

Huang said if you are in a household with a positive case, you must quarantine at home for 14 days after the infected person improves.

Jenkins says it’s for safety. He also says it’s because tests are rare.

“Let me be blunt. We don’t have enough tests,” Jenkins admitted.

Peter Urbanowicz is the former chief of staff for Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Urbanowicz lives in Texas and is now working as an advisor for the county during the coronavirus outbreak. He says the united front North Texas leaders are showing will make a difference to flatten the curve.

“The answers to many of our problems is going to be a local answer. It’s going to be the hospitals working together as a team,” he said. “If we run low on supplies, we’ve been approach by manufacturers who want to make apparel that we need.”

Tarrant County reported 14 new cases as well on Tuesday and Denton County reported two additional new cases.

There are now a total of 169 cases of coronavirus in Dallas County, 71 in Tarrant County and 38 in Denton County.

Coronavirus health tips

While COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus, daily precautions recommended to prevent respiratory illnesses are the same:

•  Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when you can't wash your hands.

•  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

•  Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, use the elbow of your sleeve. Don’t use your hands to cover coughs and sneezes.

RELATED: Coronavirus FAQ: Here’s what you need to know about the COVID-19 outbreak

•  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

•  Stay home when you are sick and keep children home when they are sick.

•  Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

•  Get a flu shot. (Although the flu shot does not protect against COVID-19, it is flu season.)

RELATED LINKS:

Shelter-at-home order issued for Dallas County

Shelter at home: What's considered essential?

Track Texas coronavirus cases by county with this interactive map