COUNTY’S 1ST COVID-19 DEATH REPORTED (updated April 2 at 12 p.m.)

WAXAHACHIE – At the end of last week, Ellis County had 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with a possible spread at the Waxahachie Dart Container plant which turned out negative and no deaths.

Moving into the week of March 29, the confirmed cases had risen to 16, and there has now been one confirmed death in Ellis County.

A 90-year-old Midlothian resident has died of COVID-19. The resident had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 21, and was transferred to Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. The patient was isolated after testing positive for the virus.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family in these difficult times and we should all honor this loss of life by doing our part to stop the spread of COVID-19,” stated a news release issued by Ellis County.

The 16th COVID-19 confirmed this week by the Ellis County Local Health Authority is a 47-yearold male in Midlothian.

“If our residents adhere to the Ellis County “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Order and the guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the State of Texas, then we can stop the spread of COVID-19,” the news release added. Ellis County Judge Todd Little issued a shelter-in-place order last Tuesday after an Ellis County Commissioner Court meeting and a 3-2 vote in favor of the decision.

The shelter-in-place order was approved by Commissioner Kyle Butler and Commissioner Randy Stinson in support.

Judge Little cast the tie-breaking vote.

The order was issued through April 3 at 11:59 p.m., unless extended by the Ellis County Commissioners Court or rescinded by the Ellis County Judge.

At that time, Dr. Leigh Nordstrom from the Ellis County Local Health Authority said, “We need to flatten the curve… it is my recommendation that we implement a shelter-in-place here in Ellis County.”

The 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ellis County are nine males and seven females.

The ages vary from 20 to 80- plus, with the most cases being five in the age range of 40 to 49.

There are now five residents in the vicinity of the city of Ennis with confirmed COVID-19 virus, as well as one in Maypearl, four in Midlothian, one in Palmer, three in Red Oak and two in Waxahachie.

For more COVID-19 information and a full outline of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order in Ellis County, visit https://co.ellis. tx.us/2019novelcoronavirus.

Dallas County also has a shelter-in place-order issued by Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins on March 19.

To visit the Texas Health and Human Services COVID-19 case dashboard, go to: https://txdshs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ed483ecd702b4298ab01e8b9cafc8b83