COVID-19 was responsible for the most deaths in Dallas County during the 12-month period dating back to the start of the pandemic in March of 2020.
"The death toll in Dallas County stands at 3,763," said Vikas Chowdhry, Chief Analytics and Information Officer at the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation.
A surge in deaths starting in December pushed the number of COVID-19 fatalities past those of other common health problems in Dallas County including heart disease (3,668), cancer (3,356) and strokes (1,015).
"We can see that COVID-19 claimed the most lives following social gatherings and holiday travel beginning with Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Year's. Starting in December we saw a spike of deaths due to COVID-19 that represented more than all of the deaths in the previous months we had experienced during the pandemic," said Chowdhry.
He's urging people to continue to taking steps to limit the spread of the virus. "That means social distancing and face coverings...and registering for vaccinations as soon as they become available to you," he said.
The latest data from the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation shows Dallas County achieving herd immunity to COVID-19 by mid-June - if the current downward trend for new cases continues.
"That is not going to be possible unless we all do our part," Chowdhry said. "We have to continue masking, we have to continue social distancing...and we have to continue listening to public health officials and their advice."