Updated March 23: This article has been updated to reflect Dallas County’s latest shelter-in-place order which puts an end to gatherings of any size with few exceptions. The bottom line is, if you don’t have to leave your house for a job deemed essential or to get groceries, medicine or to visit the doctor, you should not leave.
This article has been updated to reflect changes to Dallas County’s ban on large gatherings. Beginning March 18, recreational groups such as birthday parties and barbeques were limited to fewer than 10 people. Beginning March 16 at 11:59 p.m., all groups larger than 50 are banned. Additionally, all restaurants, bars and gyms were ordered to close. Restaurants may only offer carryout or delivery service. Groups of 10 or more, especially folks considered high risk — people over 60 or those with underlying medical conditions — are discouraged to meet. It is unclear how long the restrictions will be in place.
On March 12, Dallas County leaders banned indoor and outdoor gatherings of 50 people or more after several new coronavirus cases were confirmed. The City of Dallas followed suit with its own order that grants the city manager broad authority on a number fronts, including obtaining emergency housing. Since then, the orders have been amended substantially.
Here’s what that means:
The goal is to limit the spread of coronavirus and allow the system to catch up.
The general idea behind the prohibitions on gatherings is to cut down on concentrated “social contact" that would give the respiratory virus a chance to spread among a lot of people in one setting.
County Judge Clay Jenkins’ order says the virus that causes COVID-19, “is easily transmitted through person-to-person contact, especially in group settings, and it is essential that the spread of the virus be slowed to protect the ability of public and private health care providers to handle the influx of new patients and safeguard public health and safety.”
Jenkins said the order was necessary after Dallas County identified its first case of what’s known as “community spread” of the virus. That means one of the individuals newly diagnosed with COVID-19 picked up the virus without traveling to a hot spot, a sign the illness is already spreading through Dallas County.
Dr. Phil Huang, Dallas County health director, said Thursday the order would help local health care systems catch up.
“The other goal is really to protect our health care system, and to protect the health care workers and infrastructure,” he said. “To slow this down so that our health care system isn’t overwhelmed as we’ve seen in some of the other countries and systems.”
If you don’t have to leave your home, you shouldn’t.
Until March 23, some work and shopping was OK. However, no all non-essential workers are expected to stay home and retail stores, including malls are expected to close. This also includes houses of worship and religious services except for funerals.
Entire households must isolate if anyone in the home tests positive for COVID-19
Perhaps the strictest edition to the updated order is that everyone in a home that includes at least one person who has tested positive for the virus must isolate.
Public places such as libraries and parks are now closed. But airports and transit centers are still open, largely because people are on the move.
Dallas City Hall officials announced that public parks, libraries and other cultural centers would close until March 20. However, bus terminals and airports or other places where people are generally on the move and are a safe distance from one another are exempt.
The elderly and sick especially should stay put.
Dallas County’s order forbids non-essential visits to nursing homes. These groups are among the most at-risk for catching a severe case of COVID-19. Jenkins stressed how important it was to make sure the virus does not reach long-term care facilities.
“We have community spread. Now it’s incumbent on all of us to do everything that we can to keep it from accelerating,” Jenkins said. “If it gets into our nursing homes, or our senior service centers, our older-than-60 population, it will be deadly, and we’ve got to do everything we can to keep that from happening.”
As part of the updated order, long-facilities must limit non-essential guests.
These bans are largely on the honor system, and leaders hope you use common sense.
Jenkins said Thursday night that it is possible for individuals and businesses to receive citations if they’re found violating the order. However, he and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson largely appealed to individuals to make wise decisions. If you feel fine and have no symptoms, it’s OK to go to the gym, grocery store or your favorite restaurant. Just wash your hands and cover your cough. If you feel sick, stay home, call your doctor — not 911 — and follow their instructions.
The mayor’s order goes further and puts new requirements on the county.
There are two big differences between the city’s and county’s declarations. First, the mayor’s order grants Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax sweeping authority to secure emergency housing and issue quarantine rules. The mayor, during a Friday news conference, said these were added in case the situation turns dire. What’s more, the mayor is ordering all labs that are testing for coronavirus to report daily the number of tests run. Dallas County officials, as well as other health organizations, have been wary of reporting that data.
Don’t call 911 unless you have a real emergency.
City and county leaders stressed to the public not to panic and to avoid overloading emergency response services such as 911, emergency rooms and ambulances. If you have a question about the virus you should call your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor, call the Dallas County health department at 972-692-2780. If you live in another North Texas county and don’t have a doctor, you should call that county’s health department.
Both the city and the county will reevaluate in a week.
State law only allows these sorts of orders to be effective for seven days. After that, the judge, who leads the county commissioners court, and the mayor, who leads the City Council, will need to ask their peers to continue to extend the orders.
