Judge: What you can and can’t do under Dallas’ shelter-in-place, which could last months
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins clarified what activities residents are and are not allowed to do under a shelter-in-place order he issued Sunday to try and curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Jenkins spoke at a press conference at 6 p.m. Monday about the order, which tells people to stay home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave.
Residents are allowed to leave to buy groceries, get medical supplies, exercise and do other activities that are necessary for health. Businesses that provide essential services, such as food, medical needs and maintenance services, will remain open.
Jenkins gave specific examples of which Dallas County services can remain open, including: government services, some courts, garbage collection, DART, health care facilities, chiropractors, mental health centers, substance abuse centers and other health-related services. Ride-share services, such as Uber or Lyft, are also permitted.
Food services, animal services, laundromats, depository lenders, maintenance services and schools — for the purpose of giving out meals and social distance training — are also allowed to stay open. Cemeteries and funeral services are allowed to continue operating as long as people stay 6 feet apart.
Jenkins encouraged people to limit all trips to only what is really necessary.
He said Dallas County’s shelter-in-place order is one of the most liberal “out of anywhere in the country.”
Child care centers will remain open, but Jenkins encouraged people to allow those to serve parents who still have to work at essential businesses. People who work from home were encouraged to take their children out of child care if possible.
He said as of Monday, people would not be required to prove they can be outside, but should “police themselves.”
“By us doing this early, we stand a much better chance of this being a shorter situation than letting it rise and rise,” he said.
If businesses do not follow the order, they can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed up to 180 days.
“We’re gonna out you, we’re gonna find you, we’re gonna take the steps to shut you down, because you’re not being safe,” Jenkins said of businesses that break the order.
Shelter-in-place could last months
Health experts in Dallas County did not have an exact estimate on how long shelter-in-place would continue, but Jenkins said they predict it will last “months, not weeks.”
“I hope that turns out to be wrong,” he said. “There is so much unknown.”
Dr. Mark Casanova, Dallas County Medical Society president, also spoke at Monday’s press conference. He said the shelter-in-place order is essential to flattening the curve and preventing spread of coronavirus.
“Right now, we are waging battles with sticks at best,” he said. “And we need swords.”
The order also applies to people who live in Dallas County but work in other counties.
“If you live in Dallas County, you are under this order,” he said. “You cannot go to another county and go to work and come home at night.”
Jenkins also said he “assumes the rest of the region will do what we’re doing” eventually.
Gov. Greg Abbott did not issue a statewide shelter-in-place order Sunday, saying officials should first see what effect the recently introduced restrictions will have.
“With each day that we wait, more people ultimately will die,” Jenkins said when asked whether Abbott should approve a statewide shelter-in-place order.
At an emergency Tarrant County commissioners meeting Sunday, a shelter-in-place was not on the official agenda, but officials and members of the public debated whether or not the county should impose one.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley announced the closure of non-essential businesses Saturday.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said more restrictions, expected to include a stay-at-home order for Tarrant County, will be announced Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 7:35 PM.
