Maverick County Third Declaration of Disaster Due to Public Health Emergency Concerning COVID-19 Restrictions
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
Maverick County Commissioners Court held an emergency meeting on Sunday, March 22, 2020 and approved its Third Declaration of Disaster Due to Public Health Emergency concerning Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) restrictions for all Maverick County citizens and visitors to the community.
Maverick County’s Third Declaration of Disaster Due to Public Health Emergency is the latest pronouncement and restrictions concerning COVID-19 as of the writing of this article on March 25, 2020.
Maverick County Commissioners Court adopted Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s March 19, 2020 Executive Order Relating to COVID-19 Preparedness and Mitigation and earlier Executive Orders.
Maverick County citizens and visitors must comply with the following conditions in order to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus effective March 22, 2020:
1. All gatherings are limited to not more than 10 people and all gatherings greater than 10 people are cancelled until further notice. For purposes of this declaration, a “gathering” refers generally to any event or common endeavor that brings together or is likely to bring together 10 persons or more at the same time in a confined or enclosed space, room, or area such as, by way of example and without limitation, auditorium, theatre, stadium (indoor or outdoor), event center, bowling alley, bingo parlor, maquinita/slot machine parlor, food courts, meeting hall, conference center, large cafeteria, or any other confined indoor or confined outdoor space.
2. For purposes of clarity, a “gathering” does not include the following: 1) hospitals, medical facilities and shelters; 2) grocery stores and other essential retail establishments, including, but not limited to, hardware stores, and 3) jails and detention centers. In all such settings, where possible, it is recommended the public follow social distancing recommendations, and harm reduction measures such as hand sanitizer and tissues should be provided. However, any specific large gathering space that is part of any building included in this Seciton is subject to the prohibition of gatherings as outlined in Seciton 7. In all such settings, it is recommended that the public follow social distancing recommendations and harm reduction measures such as hand sanitizer and tissues should be provided when possible.
3. Retail establishments, including but not limited to, grocery stores, pharmacies, pet food stores, warehouse stores, gas stations, or food pantries that provide or sell food products or household staples are ORDERED to establish controls to require a minimum of six feet of distance between patrons in lines queuing in front of and inside stores. Controls may include, but not limited to, requiring each person to take a shopping cart or placing markers on the floor.
4. People shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms or massage parlors, provided, however, that the use of drive-through, pickup, or delivery options is allowed and highly encouraged.
5. People shall not visit nursing homes, elderly day care nutrition centers, long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.
6. Entry into grocery stores shall be restricted to one person per family. No person under 17 years of age shall be allowed entry into a grocery store as a patron/customer. Employees of the grocery store are exempt from this prohibition.
7. All outdoor markets, flea markets, and outdoor retail establishments shall be closed until further notice.
8. People shall avoid all playground areas found in public parks and common areas of apartment complexes, condominiums, retail establishments, restaurants, and grocery stores. Owners of these establishments shall take the necessary steps to close or prohibit access to these areas.
9. Persons under 17 years of age shall not remain in any public place or on the premises of any establishment. The County’s curfew hours are for persons under 17 years shall be enforced from 12 A.M. to 11:59 P.M. daily until further notice. Persons under 17 years of age are allowed to remain in the front or back yard of their family residence but not on public streets or public areas. Persons under 17 years of age will be permitted to travel to Eagle Pass Independent School District campuses Monday through Friday only to pick up food or assignments from 9:30 A.M. to 2 P.M.
10. All public school and private school campuses shall limit attendance only to administration and personnel essential only to administration, sanitation, and food distribution duties.
11. All persons who have undergone testing for Coronavirus shall remain in quarantine as per their healthcare provider’s instructions.
12. A person who knowingly or intentionally violates this Declaration commits an offense, punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or confinement in jail that does not exceed 180 days.
13. The County may take actions necessary to protect the health of persons in the County.
In addition, the March 22, 2020 Maverick County’s Third Declaration expressly provides that a State of Disaster based on Public Health Emergency is declared in Maverick County, Texas; Commissioner Court consents to Extend this Declaration for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of this Declaration until further notice; and this Declaration authorizes the County to take actions necessary to promote health and suppress the virus, including the quarantine of persons and occupied structures, examining and regulating hospitals, regulating ingress and egress from the County, regulating ingress and egress to occupied structures, establishment of quarantine stations, emergency hospitals, and other hospitals, and insuring compliance for those who do not comply with the County’s rules.
Furthermore, the March 22, 2020 Declaration states that all Maverick County Departments and Staff will continue operating, but the following restrictions will be enforced: 1) The Maverick County Criminal Court will postpone Court sessions and County Criminal Court Offices will be closed until April 6, 2020; 2) The Maverick County Parks and Recreation Department shall postpone leagues, events, and activities indefinitely. Fields and courts will not be allowed to be used or rented until further notice; 3) All Maverick County public parks will be closed until further notice; 4) The Maverick County Public Library and all Library facilities will be closed until further notice; and 5) All Maverick County Solid Waste Authority and Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 meetings are hereby postponed until their regularly scheduled meeting in May of 2020, unless held in conformance with authorization issued by the Governor of Texas on March 16, 2020 which allows meetings via videoconference or telephonic.
Since this is a County-wide Declaration issued by Maverick County Commissioners Court, this Declaration and its restrictions applies to all Eagle Pass, Quemado, Normandy, El Indio, and County residents.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo encourages all Maverick County residents to obey and abide by the March 22, 2020 Third Declaration of Disaster Due to Public Health Emergency related to COVID-19 for the health and safety of all citizens and visitors to the community.
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