Texas has now joined other states in severely restricting the size of crowds. In an executive order, he has closed all the state's schools, banned in-person dining at restaurants, gyms, and bars, restricted access to nursing & retirement homes.Here is how the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the order by Governor Greg Abbott (pictured):
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday that bans gatherings of more than 10 people, temporarily closes all Texas schools and prohibits dining-in at bars and restaurants in an effort to combat the novel coronavirus’ spread.
In addition, the order also closes gyms and limits visits to nursing and retirement homes unless providing critical assistance. The order goes into effect at midnight Friday and will last through midnight April 3, Abbott said, with the possibility of it being extended depending on the virus’ spread in Texas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations. “When I declared a disaster last Friday, there were 39 cases of Texans who tested positive for COVID-19. Today, that number has grown by more than 300%. Today, we have more than 140 people in the state of Texas who have tested positive for COVID-19,” Abbott said Thursday during a press conference at the Texas Capitol. . . . “What we’re dealing with in Texas is not a local disaster, or a regional disaster. It’s far more than a nationwide disaster,” Abbott said. “In fact, it is an international pandemic. The traditional model that we have employed in the state of Texas for such a long time so effectively does not apply to an invisible disease that knows no geographic and no jurisdictional boundaries.” Abbott said the order was necessary to comply with increased measures from the federal government, such as the CDC’s heightened recommendations to cancel gatherings of 10 or more people. “There is now sound evidence that community based spread of COVID-19 has begun in Texas,” Hellerstedt said. “COVID-19 is the greatest public health challenge in living memory.” As of Thursday afternoon, 2,335 people have been tested in private and public health labs, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ count. And there have been at least four deaths related to COVID-19 reported this week in Texas. “The more that people do to reduce their public contact, the sooner the COVID-19 disease will be contained and the sooner this executive order will expire,” Abbott said. While many school districts across Texas have already announced temporary closures through early April, Abbott stressed that the closures do not mean education stops, and urged online instruction to be provided. In addition, critical infrastructure, businesses, offices and workplaces will remain open — but should allow remote work when feasible, Abbott said. “The use of drive-through, pick-up or delivery options is allowed and, in fact, highly encouraged throughout the limited duration of this executive order,” Abbott said. “Importantly we want to emphasize that one thing important for all Texans to be able to access right now, obviously, is food.”
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