Live COVID-19 updates: Plano Pep Boys employee tests positive for coronavirus

PLANO, TX – The first death was confirmed Tuesday after tests showed an elderly Arlington man who died Sunday had the novel coronavirus.

Pat James, 77, had undergone testing for COVID-19 on Saturday, a day before he died.

Johnson County also confirmed Wednesday that a resident has tested positive for the disease, marking the first report of coronavirus in the county.

Twelve new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported Wednesday in Dallas County, health officials say.

In Dallas County, health officials confirmed new cases of the disease, including five cases that aren’t linked to travel or other people with COVID-19.

Top updates for Wednesday, March 18

• More cities across North Texas ordered temporary closures and restrictions for certain businesses, including Fort Worth and Plano.
• The Rev. Dr. Robert Pace, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, was released to his home on March 11, according to a statement from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.
• A Dallas middle school student has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to school officials.

First coronavirus-related death in Collin County

The first person in Collin County has died due to coronavirus. This is the second COVID-19 related death in North Texas.

According to a news release, the patient was a 64-year-old man from Plano. Officials say he died at a local hospital Tuesday from an underlying medical condition and was also infected with the novel coronavirus.

Collin County officials say the positive case was confirmed posthumously, meaning the man was not included in the previous nine cases reported in the county.

2 new cases in Tarrant County

Tarrant County health officials confirm two more positive cases of COVID-19.

One of the patients had traveled out of state but travel history of the other case is still pending, officials say.

“Both of these cases have been isolated at home after developing symptoms,” said Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja.

County leaders did not release any other details regarding the patients’ ages.

Garland reports its first case

The Garland Health Department has confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus. Officials say the patient is a Garland resident in their 30s and say this case is not travel related.

The person has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home in self-quarantine for 14 days.

11 new Dallas County cases

The county now has 39 positive cases of COVID-19.

Five of the new cases are linked to community transmission. Three of the people had close contact with other people who have been confirmed to have the novel coronavirus. One case is linked to domestic travel and two are linked to international travel.

Seven of the people live in Dallas, one lives in Coppell, one in Irving, one in Mesquite and one other lives in Richardson.

Three are hospitalized, including one in critical care. The rest are self-isolated at home.

The patients are: a teenager, a woman in her 20s, a man and a woman in their 30s, a man in his 40s, three men and two women in their 50s and one man in his 70s.

1st case confirmed in Johnson County

A man in his 40s is the first person confirmed with the disease in Johnson County.

Health officials did not say whether the case is linked to travel or another confirmed case of COVID-19.

County leaders said a disaster declaration is likely to be announced Wednesday.

Dallas City Council holds special meeting

Dallas City Council members are holding a special meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the continuous efforts in combating COVID-19.

The meeting comes less than a week after Dallas County officials declared a local disaster.

During Wednesday’s meeting, city council members will vote on whether they want to extend the declaration.

Ninth case of COVID-19 confirmed in Collin County

A 32-year-old woman in Plano is the ninth person to test positive for the disease in Collin County, according county health officials.

She has self-quarantined in her home and does not have any underlying health conditions, officials said.

66 people across the county are under monitoring for the disease at this time.

Pep Boys employee tests positive for COVID-19

A spokesperson for Pep Boys confirmed one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.

On March 16, a team member at the 928 W. Spring Creek Parkway location in Plano tested positive, the spokesperson said.

The location was closed immediately and was professionally sanitized, along with customers’ cars and keys, per the spokesperson.

Customers who visited the location from March 2 through the 16 were contacted by the company and told to contact their healthcare providers and also monitor themselves for any possible symptoms of COVID-19.

All employees who were at the store during that time frame have been placed on a 14-day paid sick leave to self-quarantine, according to the company.

The store is scheduled to reopen on Friday, March 20 with employees from other locations.