Denton County orders residents to stay at home, closes non-essential businesses
Denton County residents have been ordered to stay at home for at least the next seven days, as the county joins a growing list of North Texas municipalities placing restrictions on gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
People can leave their homes only for essential activities, such as purchasing groceries or exercising outdoors while practicing social distancing, according to the executive order issued Tuesday. Only essential businesses — such as essential healthcare operations, government functions and retail businesses like grocery stores — can stay open, per the order. All other businesses have been ordered to “cease all activities at facilities located within Denton County.”
Restaurants and bars can only provide take-out, delivery or drive-through services “as allowed by law,” according to the order.
Also, anyone using shared or outdoor spaces has to “at all times as reasonably as possible” keep a distance of 6 feet from other people, according to the order. Any public or private gathering of any number of people is prohibited, except for those occurring within a single living unit.
The order includes several other points:
- Essential businesses need to comply with social distancing guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control, which say people need to maintain a minimum of a 6-foot social distance.
- Religious and worship services can only be delivered through video or teleconference services.
- All elective medical, surgical and dental procedures are prohibited anywhere in Denton County.
- Any manufacturer who retools their business to manufacture ventilators or other needed medical equipment can qualify as an essential business.
- Delivery hour restrictions for essential businesses have been suspended in an effort to keep up with high demand at grocery stores and supermarkets.
- Retail suppliers need to use common-sense rationing of products that are in limited supply.
- Nursing homes, retirement and long-term care facilities are ordered to prohibit non-essential visitors, which excludes people providing critical assistance or coming in for end-of-life visitation.
- Schools need to review and update their emergency management plans at least 72 hours before students return to a classroom setting.
The stay-at-home mandate will last seven days unless it’s extended by the Denton County Commissioners Court or suspended by a county judge, according to the executive order.
The order comes as municipalities across North Texas have issued restrictions on social gatherings, such as Tarrant and Dallas counties, which have ordered residents to stay at home and closed non-essential businesses.
Collin County’s stay-at-home order, however, stated all businesses are essential and can stay open. The businesses have been ordered to follow social distancing guidelines.
A total of 36 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Denton County, according to the county health department. There have been nine cases in Denton, five cases in Frisco and a handful of cases in several other cities.
Eighteen cases were the result of recent travel, 12 cases were the result of local transmission and four cases were the result of contact with a confirmed cases, according to the county health department.
