Coronavirus News

With coronavirus spiking everywhere, Dallas is urged to double down

Residents are really encouraged to stay diligent and wear masks.

Photo courtesy of Arctic Cool

COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically in Dallas, in Texas, and across the country, prompting warnings from lawmakers and health officials to double back down on anti-virus practices.

On November 11, the total number of new COVID-19 cases in Dallas County was 1,401 — the largest number so far, with the exception of days when backlogs were recorded. Hospitalizations across North Texas and Dallas County showed a comparable one day jump.

Tarrant County also hit a record with 1,525 new COVID-19 cases on November 9, putting their total at 75,000 cases.

Texas, meanwhile, became the first state in the U.S. to top 1 million confirmed cases since the pandemic began, with a tally of 1,010,364 infections. Texas has the 10th largest number of cases in the world, and has surpassed the country of Italy.

Other states are also seeing increases. According to the Associated Press, hospitals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are full, and North Dakota has a shortage of qualified personnel. The U.S. has already logged one million cases in November.

CNBC predicts that the U.S. is headed for a "dark winter," a "COVID Hell," the "darkest days of the pandemic."

At a press conference on November 12, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said that Dallas' COVID-19 outbreak is "spiking dangerously," and that the county could reach its highest COVID hospitalization census yet if people do not begin to change their behavior.

Compliance on safe practices including masks, social distancing, and staying at home, has dropped to 56 percent.

Officials are especially concerned about the upcoming holiday and the likelihood that people are going to gather in groups.

"Small gatherings are some of the most problematic," Jenkins said. "People need to celebrate with their nuclear family, and celebrate at home."

He also cautioned against Black Friday and against big parties, and recommended limiting any kind of interaction with other people.

"Now is the time for those who have given into COVID fatigue and lost their resolve to wear a mask and avoid crowds to strengthen their commitment to public health and our economy by doing the things that we know will keep us safe," Jenkins said.

"Wear your mask when around people who do not live in your home," he said. "This includes when there are visitors to your home. Maintain six foot distance, wash your hands, and please avoid crowds and unnecessary trips."

He said that we are entering "the most dangerous phase we have seen to date" in the COVID crisis.

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Convention Center News

Dallas City Council drops $142 million for convention center re-do

Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has opened as a warming center in Dallas.

Courtesy photo

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The Dallas Convention Center got a big infusion of cash for its imminent makeover. According to a release, the Dallas City Council awarded more than $187 million in contracts for construction projects in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) Master Plan.

The contracts are as follows:

$141.5 million contract to Perkins&Will and Populous for architectural, engineering, and design services for the Convention Center Expansion West of Lamar (Component 1)
$42 million in city contributions and $31 million in federal funding, including $20 million from the Reconnecting Communities grant program awarded through a partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). This funding will be used to construct the foundations for three deck caps, as well as the capping and foundation of the Lamar crossing, near the KBHCCD.
$3.7 million to Metropolitan Infrastructure, PLLC, a Dallas-based M/WBE firm to oversee the renovation of Pioneer Plaza and Cemetery.

Convention and Event Services is leading a team of architects, engineers, and other contractors to design a Convention Center district from Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station to Old City Park that will connect surrounding communities, meet convention attendees’ evolving needs.

"The City Council has made a transformational investment to realize the vision for a reimagined Convention Center district,” said Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “The local and global expertise of our project partners will be instrumental in creating a facility that not only meets current and future convention demands but connects the surrounding residential community and serves downtown workers, benefitting Dallas economic growth and social vibrancy for generations."

With more than 40 conventions booked in the facility scheduled to open in 2029, the new KBHCCD expansion plans include
800,000 square feet of Exhibit Hall space 170,000 square feet of Ballroom space, including a 100,000-square-foot largest ballroom 100,000 square feet of Meeting Rooms and 2,000 parking spaces.