Fewer Rats In Dallas

Rats

Rats have taken to the streets of Chicago, again, but Dallas falls one spot to sixteenth rattiest city in the nation. Orkin released its Top 50 Rattiest Cities List today, and for the sixth consecutive time, the Windy City takes the top spot. New to the Top 10 this year is Baltimore, taking the eighth spot, and moving into the Top 20 is San Diego, rising 13 spots to secure the #19 ranking.

The Issue: Rats

In an unprecedented year, the visibility of rodents has increased, creating concern for homeowners and business owners alike. As reported in the Spring, the pandemic-driven closure of restaurants forced rodents to find new food sources. Without food waste to consume, these pests were seen scavenging new areas and exhibiting unusual or aggressive behavior. The presence of rodents became so relevant that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Rodent Control guidance on ways to keep rats and mice out of homes and businesses.  

As we approach colder months, rodent activity will only continue increasing as these pests seek shelter in warm areas with available food and water. As the U.S. population spends more time at home this season, residents should pay extra attention to the attractants that entice rats and mice.

“Rodents are experts at sniffing out food and shelter, and they’re resilient in their ways to obtain both,” said Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist. “Residential properties offer the ideal habitat for rodents, and once they’ve settled in, they’re capable of reproducing rapidly and in large quantities.”

Rodents are known to cause severe structural damage with their strong jaws and burrowing skills. They have oversized front teeth for gnawing, and they have check teeth, which are adapted for chewing a variety of items, including electrical wires, water pipes and gas lines. “Unfortunately, rodents can cause great damage in and around homes,” said Hottel.

Beyond structural damage, there are multiple health issues associated with rodents, and during a time of heightened awareness around virus transmission, preventing rodents and the harmful pathogens they carry is critical. Rodents are capable of contaminating food through pathogens that can cause food poisoning or Leptospirosis. They can also spread diseases such as Hantavirus and Plague, specifically in the Western U.S., both of which while uncommon, can be fatal.

The good news is, a rat infestation is preventable. To help residents avoid the potential health and safety risks associated with rodents, Orkin recommends the following tips to help prevent rats and mice in and around the home.

Rats

The Orkin report comes just a few months after the City of Dallas said they would cut back on bulk trash pickup.

No Spanish Speakers Need Apply

Carter Bloodcare denied two Spanish speakers the ability to donate earlier this week per multiple witnesses. The two potential donors had made an appointment for earlier this week in Spanish, but upon arrival at the Dallas donor center were told they would not be accomodated.

Carter Bloodcare Denies Spanish Speakers Ability To Donate Blood

On a regular basis Carter Bloodcare reminds the public that the blood supply is inadequate for ongoing needs while they sell donated blood products to hospitals throughout the region.

We asked Carter Bloodcare about these issues more than twenty-four hours ago. They have not responded to a request for comment other than it is accurate two donors were denied the ability to donate without being screened.

The American Red Cross also collects blood locally.

Information for Spanish Speakers

Three federal laws require that providers who receive federal funds provide oral interpreters and written translated materials to Limited English Proficiency and Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients. Those laws include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Many systems including nonprofits will use language lines which are telephone systems where a qualified translator can provide medical translation for hundreds of languages between medical staff and patient.

In addition to the above Newly adopted changes to Section 1557 of the ACA in 2016 brought about two key changes.

First, providers must now use qualified medical interpreters when treating LEP and Deaf
and HOH patients.

Second, LEP patients, for the first time, were granted the right to sue providers for language access violations. It was not clear if the Spanish speaking donors had sought counsel.

Parkland Hospital: Baby Born With COVID19

A baby born with COVID19 was delivered at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital. The child appears to have contracted the Coronavirus in the womb.

Baby Born with COVID19

Baby Alexa tested positive at Parkland one day after she was born to Wendy Figueroa who had been admitted to the hospital with a fever, headache and gastrointestinal symptoms on April 30th.

The mother tested positive for COVID19, also known as the Coronavirus.

Because Alexa was about five weeks premature, she was kept in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit while her mom was sent home.

Figueroa had to wait out a 14-day quarantine before being sure she was over the disease. Only then was it safe to bring Alexa home.

Baby Born With COVID19 – The First?

Their case has been published this week in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

There has been ongoing debate about the safety of opening schools and whether or not children were susceptible to COVID19. While Dallas’ COVID19 numbers have declined recently, we are still a hot spot for the disease.

New 2020-2021 Dallas ISD Calendar Revealed

The new Dallas ISD Calendar is here. As a follow up to the previous story on Wednesday. The Board of Trustees has finally spoken on its propositions. The Dallas ISD calendar does have a late June finish, among other things.

Michael Hinojosa withoutDiscussing Dallas ISD Calendar

Dallas ISD Calendar Explained

The Board of Trustees spent hours discussing this new calendar. With an emphasis to keep the same effective learning time, the new school year starts on September 8 and ends on June 18.

Although not explicitly stated, it’s suggested that the first few weeks of school will be online. As explained by the speaker, the main purpose expressed for the late start is to refine and polish online education.

“So its not about health, its not about safety, its not about getting the schools ready for a more safe environment, its about perfecting virtual instruction.” noted Trustee, Dustin Marshall.

Dallas ISD Calendar Changes

The board also discussed eliminating breaks in order to finish the Dallas ISD calendar as usual. However, the board opted to extend to a June 18 finish rather than to shorten breaks. The only break that was cut was Fair days, due to the State Fair being cancelled.

On the contrary one new holiday was added, November 3, also known as election day. Schools act as a place to vote on that day. And in order to keep students and teachers away from potentially infected voters, election day will now be a holiday.

Others things to note:

  • Administrators will get 14 hours of professional development for virtual learning
  • Teachers will get 15-18 hours of training for virtual learning
  • Up to 8 of the first few weeks might be online learning only
  • Grading periods last 9 weeks instead of 6
  • 5 professional development days for will be replaced for instructional time.

Hot Zone: Dallas Health In Danger Due To COVID19

Dallas is a medical hot zone. That is per a White House report obtained by Center for Public Integrity which says Texas should continue to mandate masks, keep bars closed, decrease indoor dining to 25% capacity and limit social gatherings to 10 people or fewer in counties with rising COVID-19 positivity rates.

The report dated July 14 shows eighteen states currently in what the task force calls the “red zone” for cases. This means there were more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for every 100,000 people in a given state during the second week in July. 

Eleven states are in that same “red zone” for test positivity, the level a state reaches when higher than 10% of those getting tested are testing positive. Texas is in both. 

Dallas Texas Is a Hot Zone

Ten total states across the country are in both “red zones,” mainly across the south. They include:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Nevada
  • South Carolina
  • Texas

In the week before July 14, Texas was reporting nearly double the number of new cases compared to the national average, at 206 new cases to the U.S.’s 119 per 100,000 people. The state’s positivity rate for the same week was 20.6%, according to the report. Additionally, cases were starting in child care settings.

Over the course of the three weeks before July 14, Harris, Dallas and Bexar counties had the highest number of new cases out of the state’s 254 counties, with the three accounting for 35% of the total new cases in Texas, the report shows. 

“Hot Zone” counties

Nearly half of Texas’ counties are in both of the “red zones”—  123 out of Texas’ 254. 

The top 12 counties in the “red zone,” ranked by the highest number of cases in the past three weeks, were:

  1. Harris
  2. Dallas
  3. Bexar
  4. Travis
  5. Tarrant 
  6. Hidalgo
  7. Nueces
  8. El Paso
  9. Galveston
  10. Williamson
  11. Lubbock
  12. McLennan

Record Breaking COVID19 Cases

Texas reported 5000 new COVID19 cases. This is a single day-high for new coronavirus cases as of Tuesday and reached a new all-time high of hospitalized COVID-19 patients for tweve straight days.

This includes 1000 new Dallas cases and almost a dozen new deaths.

COVID19 Cases In Texas

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 5,489 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and 4,092 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Tuesday’s hospitalizations were a jump of 381 patients from the previous record of 3,711 hospitalized Monday.

Gov. Greg Abbott had previewed the new single-day high during television interviews Tuesday afternoon before DSHS released specific figures.

The previous single-day high was 4,430 cases on Saturday. Since last Wednesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services has reported over 3,000 new cases each day, with 3,866 on Sunday and 3,280 on Monday. At least 2,192 deaths have been reported through Monday.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the next couple of weeks would be critical to address recent surges in states like Texas.

COVID19

Gov. Abbott continues to plan for business as usual.

A recent draft plan leaked shows the Texas Education Agency plans to re-open schools in the fall despite numbers continuing to rise.

COVID19 Masks Are Back

Masks for COVID19 prevention are back! Friday morning, Dallas County commissioners voted to mandate that businesses in the county require customers to wear a mask to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

Clay Jenkins Wears His COVID19 Prevention Mask

Dallas County Commissioners passed the order 3-2 after an emotional debate. Commissioners Elba Garcia and Theresa Daniel voted with County Judge Clay Jenkins in favor of the mask requirement. Commissioners J.J. Koch and John Wiley Price voted against.

Businesses that don’t comply face up to a $500 fine.

COVID19 In Texas

The order comes as Dallas and Tarrant county see COVID19 related infection spikes. This includes 413 confirmed cases in Dallas County on Wednesday.

Bexar County issued similar rules and Gov. Greg Abbott did not object to Bexar County’s new rule. In an interview he said: “Just like they can require people to wear shoes and shirts, these businesses can require people to wear face masks if they come into their businesses. Now, local officials are just now realizing that that was authorized.”

Governor Abbott seems to be playing both sides of the fence on the COVID19 issue. Earlier this week he said schools would open in person.

The new order goes into effect at 11:59 PM tonight, June 19, 2020.

Breaking: Blood Shortage At Carter Bloodcare

Dallas has a severe blood shortage and needs your help now!

If you made a New Year’s Resolution you have’t kept, here is an easy way to redeem yourself. Be a hero and donate whole blod today!

Carter BloodCare is taking walk-ins now through 3:30 in the parking lot of Episcopal School of Dallas (4100 Merrell Road).

Blood Shortage At Carter Bloodcare

Blood Shortage in Dallas

Carter BloodCare has been serving Dallas since 1951 when J.K. and Susie L. Wadley chartered the Wadley Research Institute and Blood Bank. They changed the name of the nonprofit organization in 1993 to BloodCare of Dallas. Fort Worth was being served by Carter Blood Center, founded in 1957 with grant support from the Amon G. Carter Foundation. 

Carter Bloodcare is recognized throughout the medical and research communities for providing a high quality of products and services to our hospital partners, community supporters and blood donors.

Their primary purpose is to provide life-saving resources to local hospitals in our regional communities. They are proud to be one of the AABB-accredited blood centers in the state, their laboratory is certified by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), and they are also licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, they are affiliated with America’s Blood Centers – a group of community blood centers providing half of the blood that is transfused in the United States.

Carter BloodCare is known for our commitment to quality, strength in industry expertise, and a passion for saving lives.

Please contact Other Side Dallas with other opportunities for our neighbors to serve their neighnors.