Coronavirus News

Dallas opens drive-thru coronavirus testing at 2 locations

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Testing helps narrow down the location of the virus.

Photo by Getty Images

UPDATE 3/23/2020: Starting at 12 noon on Monday, March 23, the two COVID-19 testing sites in Dallas have lifted the age restriction to test more North Texans. Originally restricted to first responders, the criteria has been broadened to accommodate nearly anyone, and the list below has been updated to reflect the new loosened restrictions.

UPDATE 3/24/2020: The total capacity for testing is up to 5,000 per week, not per day.

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With the COVID-19 tally climbing daily, Dallas has opened two drive-thru sites to test for for the virus. The tests have been provided to Dallas County by the federal government.

They'll be limited to first responders, health care workers, and others on the front line.

The sites are at these locations:

American Airlines Center, at 2500 Victory Plaza, opened on March 21.
Ellis Davis Field House at 9191 S. Polk St. opened on March 22.

Both locations are open daily from 8 am-8 pm. According to a release from the city of Dallas, they have the capability to test nearly 5,000 people ~~each day~~ per week.

Not everyone who wants a test gets one. Restrictions on who can take the test are as follows:

Shortness of breath
Cough
Must show a temperature of 99.6 or higher

Anyone not meeting the criteria above should contact their healthcare provider.

Workers in protective gear take your temperature while you're still in your car, then insert a swab into your nostrils which are sent to a lab. Results come back in three days.

Other test sites currently open include public health labs, private clinics, and hospitals. A doctor has to sign off on whether a patient qualifies, using guidelines from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There's also a location at Parkland Hospital, which is by appointment only for current Parkland patients who meet the criteria with a Parkland doctor's approval, and for first responders and health care workers.

Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath, and may appear in as soon as two or up to 14 days after exposure.

San Antonio, Austin, and Houston have all set up testing sites.

Austin startup Everlywell is also rolling out a new at-home test beginning March 23. The company says that 30,000 tests will be available in the initial batch.

Testing is considered by the World Health Organization as vitally important, both in treating individuals with the virus and also in tracking and isolating its location.

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Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

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The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

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