Denton County confirms 10 more deaths were due to COVID-19

Denton County Public Health announced Monday that 10 more county residents’ deaths were the result of COVID-19, bringing the countywide death toll to 546.

The deaths reported Monday include six residents of Denton — a man and a woman over 80, a man and two women in their 70s and one man in his 60s — as well as a Sanger man over 80, a Hickory Creek man in his 60s, an Aubrey man in his 60s and a man over 80 who resided in unincorporated southwest Denton County, which includes Lantana.

“We continue to validate and verify previously unreported deaths as delayed information becomes available to DCPH. From the beginning, we have used test results and progression of COVID-19 disease as guidelines for confirming a COVID-19 death in Denton County,” said DCPH Director Dr. Matt Richardson. “It’s important to families affected and our communities to know these deaths are directly attributed to COVID-19.”

Richardson has said multiple times that DCPH only rules a resident’s death as a COVID-19 death if it is determined that the person died as a result of COVID-19, not when someone has COVID-19 but dies primarily of another cause.

There are now 3,224 active COVID-19 cases in the county, a number that was declining swiftly a few months ago but is now declining at a much slower rate.

To minimize spread of COVID-19, DCPH urges all community members to:

• Maintain at least six feet of physical distance in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
• Wear masks or face coverings, which should cover both the nose and mouth, in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
• Wash and/or sanitize hands frequently
• Stay home if you are symptomatic, have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, or have pending COVID-19 lab results
• When eligible and available to you, get your COVID-19 vaccine

Click here for more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Denton County. For additional COVID-19 data including active case information by municipality, hospital capacity, and ventilator utilization, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVIDstats. For information regarding DCPH’s upcoming testing centers, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19testing. For additional COVID-19 health and safety recommendations, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19.