Backlog results in more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases added to Dallas County stats
The province classifies this problem as a coding error with the new state reporting system.
DALLAS – Dallas County says a state-level reporting error is the reason for a large dump of overdue COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
More than 5,300 cases have now been added to the Dallas County case total, but nearly all of these cases are from last month. The province reported 5,631 cases Sunday, but a much lower than normal 166 actual new cases were included in that number.
Due to the error, Dallas County health officials say no contact detection was done for more than 5,000 positive COVID-19 cases. The health department expects more of these overdue numbers to come this week.
The province classifies this problem as a coding error with the new state reporting system.
Judge Clay Jenkins of Dallas County says that now more than ever people should continue to wear a mask and use social distance.
“We do not know if the figures went down two weeks ago or three weeks ago because of this error or because they were really down. “What doctors believe is that masking has a positive effect and the numbers are going down,” Jenkins said.
Dr. John Carlo, who is on the coronavirus task force for the Texas Medical Association, says Sunday’s actual number is 166 – the lowest since April – that report could also not be accurate.
“If there was a backlog last month, there could still be a backlog today, so I would refrain from drawing conclusions about today’s numbers, especially what we hear about the backlog itself,” Carlo said. “Nothing changes from this case report, if it improves anything, the message is that we still have to do what we do.”
With that backlog, the total Dallas County case is now at more than 63,000. On Sunday, only one death was reported.
Tarrant County also experienced a backlog on Saturday, reporting 680 new infections and eight deaths on Sunday. Collin and Denton County did not report their numbers Sunday.
