“Zero Tolerance” of COVID-19 Violations to Be Enforced by Eagle Pass Police Department and Maverick County Sheriff’s Department Effective July 9, 2020
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center Co-Director Rodolfo “Woody” Cardona announced on Thursday, July 9, 2020, at a press conference regarding the COVID-19 pandemic that the Eagle Pass Police Department and Maverick County Sheriff’s Department are going to enforce a “zero tolerance” policy of any outdoor gatherings of 10 or more people within Maverick County as a preventive measure to stop or slow the skyrocketing surge of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the community with a fine of up to $1,000, effective July 9, 2020.
Cardona reported that the Texas Department of State Health Services announced a total of 56 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 41 hospitalized people in Maverick County as of Thursday, July 9, 2020, raising the total to 776 cases. “The extent of the [COVID-19] pandemic in the community is high,” said Cardona.
Cardona noted that a meeting was held on July 9 between representatives of the Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center, including himself, and Eagle Pass Police Department Chief Alberto Guajardo and Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber to discuss how to stop and slow the community spread of COVID-19 in Maverick County. All the parties agreed to enforce a “zero tolerance” policy against violations of public health emergency restrictions enacted by Governor Greg Abbott, City of Eagle Pass, and Maverick County.
Cardona highlighted that effective Thursday, July 9, 2020, the “zero tolerance” policy will be aggressively enforced by the Eagle Pass Police Department and the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department as a preventive measure to stop or slow the community spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus as well as enforce the public health emergency restrictions approved by the State of Texas and local governmental entities.
Cardona pointed out that the “vast majority” of COVID-19 cases in Maverick County have been contact traced by Emergency Operations Center investigators to people involved in outside gatherings of 10 or more people without wearing a face mask and violating social distancing guidelines (6 feet apart).
Cardona added that the Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority investigators have had to grapple with people who tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed on quarantine to remain in their homes until they test negative for the virus, but some of these people have been sighted in public at local businesses, restaurants or gasoline stations in violation of their quarantine. These people are carriers of the coronavirus and can infect other people and spread the virus within the community. This is a criminal violation of the Texas Health and Safety Code as a third degree felony with a fine up to a $1,000, said Cardona.
Cardona noted that the Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority investigators have issued four warrants of arrests to local people who tested positive for COVID-19 and violated their quarantine. All confirmed positive COVID-19 people will be subjected to the “zero tolerance” enforcement policy to avoid community spread of the virus and expected to stay at home until cleared by the Local Health Authority.
Cardona stated that the Eagle Pass Police Department, Maverick County Sheriff’s Department, and Emergency Operations Center will enforce the new “zero tolerance” policy against all public health emergency restrictions approved by the State of Texas and local governmental entities, including having to wear a face mask, gatherings of 10 or more, social distancing (6 feet apart), occupancy rates for local businesses and restaurants, and others. These public health emergency restrictions may be found in the Texas Department of State Health Services website under “Opening the State of Texas” at: DSHS.state.tx.us.
Cardona concluded that all Maverick County residents are encouraged to report violations of the public health emergency restrictions by calling the Eagle Pass Police Department at (830) 773-9044 or the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department at (830) 773-2321.
