We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Check back for updates.

Texas clinics resume abortions after looser restrictions on procedures amid coronavirus

Abortion clinics across Texas said they were resuming services Wednesday in light of Gov. Greg Abbott’s new executive order that permitted some elective procedures to recommence amid the coronavirus’ outbreak.

At 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Abbott’s new executive order went into effect, allowing elective medical procedures to resume in healthcare facilities that agree to reserve hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients and to not request supplies of personal protective equipment from public sources.

The order lasts through May 8 and replaced Abbott’s previous executive order that suspended elective surgeries and procedures that weren’t necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient — including most abortions. The state’s ban on most abortion procedures amid the pandemic has been the focus of a back-and-forth legal battle between abortion providers and the state that is still ongoing.

At a press conference announcing the relaxed restrictions last week, Abbott said abortion procedures are “not part of this order” and that it would ultimately “be a decision for courts to make.”

Kayleigh Date, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office, wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon that the new executive order, “applies to ‘All licensed health-care professionals and all licensed health-care facilities.’ There is no specific exemption for abortion providers.”

However, Dyana Limon-Mercado, executive director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, said in a statement Wednesday that Planned Parenthood believes the exception in the new order means that abortion providers, like other facilities, may resume services.

Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health and Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, said in a statement Wednesday that its clinics in Fort Worth, Austin and McAllen are all open and “once again offering all abortion-care options to patients.”

Many patients fear contracting coronavirus at hospitals. It’s killing them, MedStar says

Patients in the Tarrant County area could be waiting too long before they call 911 for help, and then they are reluctant to be taken to a local hospital for fear of contracting the coronavirus, according to MedStar officials on Wednesday.

Waiting too long has ended tragically for many patients in the Tarrant County area in recent weeks, officials said. More than 50 percent more patients were pronounced dead at the scene by MedStar crews so far this month compared to April 2019 for those found to be in cardiac arrest, according to MedStar statistics..

“Our crews are concerned that some patients may be waiting too long to call, and, even when they do, many patients are reluctant to go to the hospital out of fear of contracting coronavirus,” said MedStar spokesman Matt Zavadsky in a Wednesday news release. “They also may not want to go to a hospital because of the restricted visitor policies enacted by many hospitals to help flatten the curve of the coronavirus.”

Since January, MedStar’s ambulance transports to hospitals are down 30 percent, while response volume is down 19 percent, according to MedStar statistics.

Here are some statistics that MedStar officials note could mean patients may be waiting too long before they call: responses in which a patient was found to be in cardiac arrests were up 12 percent in March compared to March 2019. And so far in April, MedStar crews have responded to 38 percent more cardiac arrests than in April 2019.

“It is important that people call 911 if they feel they are experiencing a medical emergency,” Zavadsky said. “Let your local EMS professionals respond, conduct a thorough medical assessment, and provide recommendations for the most appropriate medical care for you.”

Abbott hints at localized approach to reopening Texas businesses amid coronavirus

Gov. Greg Abbott hinted Wednesday at a regional approach to reopening businesses in Texas based on the level of spread of the novel coronavirus.

In an interview Wednesday morning with talk show host Chad Hasty on KFYO radio in Lubbock, Abbott said that as part of his revised guidance to begin reopening businesses in Texas, counties with lower numbers of confirmed cases may be able to fully reopen sooner than counties where the virus is still growing.

Abbott pointed to April 9 as the date of Texas’ “high water mark,” and according to the Houston Chronicle, the state saw 1,421 new cases confirmed that day — a high of new daily cases that has not been reached since. But the number of cases across Texas is likely higher than reported, as testing has been limited. Texas ranks near the bottom nationwide in per capita testing.

“That was the only day we’ve had in the state of Texas that had more than 1,000 people test positive for COVID-19,” Abbott said.

However, there are “some pockets in the state of Texas that don’t have the adequate downward trajectory,” he continued.

Last week, Abbott issued an executive order permitting retail businesses to begin operating “to-go” starting Friday, and he’s expected to announce revised guidance Monday.

Fort Worth bar says it’ll reopen May 1, regardless of coronavirus shutdown ‘nonsense’

A bar in Fort Worth’s Stockyards caused a debate on social media after posting the venue will open on May 1 despite the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, which the post called “nonsense” and “grossly over exaggerated.”

The Basement Bar posted the reopening announcement Tuesday night on its Facebook page. By Wednesday afternoon, the post had thousands of comments, some supporting the bar and others calling the move dangerous and irresponsible.

At about noon Wednesday, the post had been taken off the page. The owner of the bar referred the Star-Telegram to the Fort Worth Stockyards PR spokesman, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We have played the game long enough,” the Facebook post said. “We abided by the rules set forth to help prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed and to ‘flatten the curve.’”

The post said the bar has been closed since March 18 and always puts customers and employees’ safety first.

“As most of you already know, more and more evidence is brought to light everyday that most of this was all nonsense and grossly over exaggerated. We feel it is most important to stand up for our freedoms and get our employees back to work, it is our right. We can no longer neglect our livelihoods for the illusion of safety put forth by our city leaders. There’s no more ‘Y’all Stay Home’ it’s ‘Y’all Get Back to Work!’”

Federal prison inmate in Fort Worth dies after testing positive for the coronavirus

A federal prison inmate in Fort Worth who tested positive for the coronavirus died Wednesday, according to prison officials.

Arnoldo Almeida, 61, went into respiratory distress at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth on April 16.

Almeida, who had long-term, pre-existing medical conditions, was evaluated by medical staff and taken to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation, a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said.

Almeida had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 13, and was immediately placed in isolation, the release said.

FMC Fort Worth had 56 inmates and one staff member with known cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.

Tarrant County reports 2 more coronavirus deaths, third-most new cases in a day

Tarrant County reported two more coronavirus deaths and 97 new cases on Wednesday.

The latest COVID-19 deaths are man in his 80s living in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County and a Fort Worth man in his 60s. Both had underlying health issues.

The 97 new cases are the third-most reported in a single day by the county. The county reported 105 new cases on April 14 and 101 on Monday.

The county has confirmed 44 pandemic-related deaths and 1,430 cases, including 259 recoveries. Twenty-five of the deaths have been Fort Worth residents.

Grand Prairie man in his 60s the 65th coronavirus death in Dallas County; 81 new cases

Dallas County reported its 65th coronavirus death and 81 new cases on Wednesday.

A Grand Prairie man in his 60s died in an area hospital, health officials reported.

There have been 2,683 total COVID-19 cases in the county. Officials are not releasing patient recovery totals.

Of the pandemic cases requiring hospitalization, most patients have either been 60 or older or have had at least one known high-risk chronic health condition. About a third of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients also had diabetes.

Collin County reports 14 new coronavirus cases, 421 recoveries

Collin County reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday to bring its total to 584, including 421 recoveries and 14 deaths.

Of the 149 active patients, 38 live in Plano and 37 live in McKinney. Seventeen are hospitalized and 132 are in home isolation.

The county is reporting 4,288 negative COVID-19 tests and 873 people being monitored by health officials for symptoms.

Active coronavirus cases dwindle in Parker County, down to 3 in Weatherford, 2 in Azle

Parker County is down to just five active coronavirus cases.

Of the 21 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 16 have recovered. The five active cases include three in Weatherford and two in Azle. The five patients are in their 50s and 60s and are in home isolation.

Of the total confirmed cases, eight have been in Weatherford, five in Azle, two in Willow Park and one each in Aledo, Lipan, Peaster, Poolville, Reno and Springtown.

The county has reported 229 negative COVID-19 test results and 12 results are pending.

Here’s what ticket holders need to know about Bass Hall’s postponed ‘Hamilton’ shows

The production of “Hamilton” at Bass Hall has been rescheduled to January 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The engagement of the popular musical originally was scheduled to run from June 9-28 this year. Tickets purchased through Bass Hall will be honored for the new dates. Emails will be sent to ticket holders with additional information regarding the new performance dates.

The rescheduled shows will run from Jan. 18 to Feb. 6, 2022. That was the earliest Bass Hall could rebook the engagement.

If you purchased tickets from a third party reseller, you will need to contact them directly.

Another construction worker has tested positive for coronavirus at TCU

TCU announced that a fourth individual has tested positive for coronavirus on its campus. Three of the four individuals have been contracted construction workers.

The university said Wednesday that a second construction worker on TCU’s new music center tested positive for COVID-19. The individual came in direct contact with a construction worker who tested positive for the virus last Friday.

Both individuals last worked at the construction site on Thursday.

As a new construction project, the music center is not open to faculty, staff or students, the school said.

“The area was cleared of personnel and sanitized at that time and construction at the building is paused until May 1 ,” the school said. “The general risk to the TCU community from this case is considered low, given that the construction site is a new building and closed to anyone other than construction personnel.”

The first two positive cases on the TCU campus — a construction worker on the football stadium’s east-side expansion and a student — have recovered.

Fort Worth Mayor Price tests negative for coronavirus, but second staffer is infected

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said she does not have the novel coronavirus, but a second city employee she was in close contact with has tested positive for COVID-19.

She will remain in self-quarantine at home with her husband, she said Tuesday in a video message, and will keep watch for symptoms out of caution.

“It’s best to be overly cautious,” she said. “Act like you’ve tested positive and stay home.”

Some time last week, Price was in close contact with a city employee inside the Joint Emergency Operations Center who tested positive for coranvirus on Monday. The city has not released details about that employee, or the second employee Price mentioned Tuesday.

Price took a test in the morning that is usually completed in eight hours through the Tarrant County Health Department, she said. The test was negative.

The time it takes for a coronavirus test to be processed vary based on the lab. The New York Times last week reported that some patients waited a few days, while others have been waiting for a month. A testing site set up in partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the Moncrief Cancer Institute processes tests within 24 to 48 hours.

“We need more testing,” Price said. “Testing is the key to beginning to clear this virus.”

Coronavirus restrictions aren’t going anywhere just yet, Tarrant County judge says

As officials talk about loosening some restrictions that have kept many in their homes in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, they say it’s too early to actually make changes.

“Now is not the time to relax,” Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said Tuesday. “I still think we are two, three, maybe four weeks away from lessening restrictions.

“We are pretty much staying in step with the governor, ... beginning to look down the road to when we are lessening restrictions ... and putting (people) back to work.”

On Tuesday, Tarrant County commissioners updated their executive order calling for residents to stay home through the end of April to make it conform to orders Texas Gov. Greg Abbott put out last week that loosen some restrictions such as allowing for non-emergency medical procedures to begin Wednesday and retail-to-go to begin Friday.

Abbott has said more announcements will come Monday.

“It’s a very delicate balancing act between protecting the health of our citizens and protecting the economy,” Commissioner Roy Brooks said, calling for more coronavirus tests to be done locally. “We have to be more aggressive with testing so we know about the health of our citizens at the same time we consider the health of our economy.”

Company hopes to find coronavirus treatment with blood from former patients

Global pharmaceutical company Grifols is looking for recovered coronavirus patients to donate blood.

The company, which is based in Barcelona, Spain, has clinics in the Dallas area and across the country. It hopes to produce a treatment for COVID-19 in concert with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the US. Biomedical Advanced Research Authority and other federal health agencies, according to a release by Grifols.

The company has started identifying, screening and selecting volunteer donors.

Interested donors should call 866-363-2819 for a screening. Appropriate donors will be directed to local Gifols centers. Donors will be compensated but payment details weren’t available.

Donors must have a diagnosis made with a test (nasal swab or blood) and complete resolution of COVID-19 symptoms at least 28 days before donation, or complete resolution of symptoms at least 14 days before donation along with a negative molecular test for COVID-19. They also must meet routine eligibility criteria for plasma donation. For more details visit www.grifolsplasma.com.

For Texans looking for work due to coronavirus, Abbott says nearly 500K jobs available

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that plans to slowly reopen Texas’ economy are moving forward and directed Texans to resources where they can find hundreds of thousands of jobs available across the state in the meantime.

Abbott said companies like Amazon, H-E-B, Lockheed Martin and Fidelity Investments are currently hiring, and pointed job seekers to WorkInTexas.com, a website developed by the Texas Workforce Commission. The site currently lists about 490,000 open jobs, and Abbott described it as a “one-stop shopping location” that allows results to be searched for by keyword and location.

In the Tarrant County area, residents can also visit resources like the Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County’s website, to find resources locally.

“The good news is, Texas is prepared to take very positive steps toward opening up our state and finally ensuring that we’re going to have more of our employees going back to work,” Abbott said Tuesday from the Texas Capitol.

The virus has rocked the economy, and stay-at-home orders have forced some businesses to close and have led to record job losses and claims for unemployment insurance. And on Monday, oil prices plunged below zero.

Abbott said job losses and the effects on Texans’ livelihood has been “one of the harshest consequences of what we have dealt with so far other than the loss of life.”

Abbott also said that revised guidance on businesses reopening their doors was still set to be announced Monday, April 27, in addition to updates to his executive order requiring Texans stay home though April unless participating in services deemed “essential” by the state.

The current order lasts through April 30, but Abbott said Monday he will be issuing “a new order for the state going forward, and there will either be portions of that, or all of that, that have statewide application.”

Fort Worth suburb plans to reopen some businesses. Abbott says no exceptions to order.

Colleyville restaurants with patios can start serving food and salons can open by appointment starting Friday.

Mayor Richard Newton issued a proclamation late Monday afternoon on the city’s website stating that he was amending a March 24 disaster declaration to allow limited openings of some businesses.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley on Tuesday said he has seen Colleyville’s proclamation.

“I do believe that this could very well be in violation of the governor’s orders,” he said, adding that he didn’t think individual cities and counties could be more permissive than Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders.

Whitley said he didn’t think the county could do anything about Colleyville’s decision.

“It’s a free country,” he said. “We’re not a police state and we never will be. We expect people to use common sense.”

Newton said he believes that he is complying with Abbott’s order, but added that he decided to loosen restrictions on some Colleyville businesses after the governor “tweaked his order last week to allow nonessential businesses to open for curbside pickup and online orders.”

Newton said he has not heard from the governor regarding opening restaurants with patios and salons on Friday. “We’re happy to talk to him,” Newton said.

“We are careful to make our decisions based on what’s best for Colleyville,” Newton said.

Fort Worth-area man home after coronavirus infection had him in hospital for 11 days

When Charles Lowrey returned to his Haltom City home in the beginning of March, he was not feeling well, he said.

Lowrey, a 61-year-old truck driver, said he kept taking his temperature, which hovered around 100 degrees for days. After days of not having any appetite and not being able to keep down any liquids besides water, Lowrey said, his sons convinced him to go to a clinic.

Lowrey said a doctor told him he was suffering from food poisoning.

But days later, he was in an ambulance and attached to a ventilator on his way to Medical City North Hills hospital in North Richland Hills. Lowrey said his memories of the experience have become fragmented.

He said he went back to the clinic before he was rushed to the hospital and his temperature was 101.7 degrees.

“Then it just shot up to 107,” Lowrey said.

By the time Lowrey got to the hospital, he said, his test results came back positive for COVID-19. Lowrey, who was admitted on April 10, spent five days on a ventilator and the next six days in an intensive care unit. Lowrey was released from the hospital on Monday.

Having the disease was a battle, he said.

“I used to make light of this coronavirus, but I’ll never do that again,” Lowrey said. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

Is your takeout safe? Here’s how Fort Worth restaurant inspectors handle coronavirus.

Health inspections at Fort Worth restaurants have dramatically dropped since stay-at-home orders were issued to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Since March 24, when restaurants began operating on a to-go or delivery basis, five restaurants have been cited for health policy violations, according to a Star-Telegram review of the most recent violations between March and mid-April.

Many violations before and after the stay-at-home orders address improper hand-washing stations and a lack of hot water, a lack of paper towels or hand sanitizers, and a lack of signs posted about hand washing. Health officials have said a key way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wash hands often and thoroughly.

“Our inspections always look for things like hand washing,” said Elmer DePaula, Fort Worth’s assistant director of Code Compliance with oversight of Consumer Health and environmental quality. “That always has been, and always will be, important, including the use of hand sanitizer and the use of disposable gloves.”

Fewer inspections are being done now, as fewer restaurants are open, he said.

Dallas County extends stay-at-home order through May 15, but Abbott may overrule action

Dallas County extended its coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home order through May 15, two weeks beyond the statewide order from Gov. Greg Abbott.

Tuesday’s 3-2 vote by county commissioners could be overruled by Abbott. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who cast one of the three votes to extend the order, said he’ll leave it up to the state to decide.

In a news conference Tuesday, Abbott said he plans to announce any updates on the statewide order, along with revised guidance on business reopenings.

The county has reported 64 COVID-19 deaths and 2,602 cases, including four deaths and 90 new cases on Tuesday.

“If I’m wrong, [the governor] will quickly tell us and tell us that we have to let everybody play pick-up basketball and do whatever they want to on April 30,” Jenkins said, according to the Dallas Morning News.

3 more coronavirus deaths in Tarrant County, including man in 40s, plus 84 new cases

Tarrant County reported three more coronavirus-related deaths, including a Fort Worth man in his 40s, on Tuesday.

All three patients had underlying health conditions. The deaths also included a Fort Worth woman in her 90s and an Arlington man in his 90s.

The county added 84 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday for a total of 1,333, including 223 recoveries and 42 deaths.

“These deaths are unfortunate reminders that we are still in the fight against this deadly virus,” Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said in a news release.

Dallas County reports 90 more coronavirus cases, 3 deaths in Mesquite, 1 in Duncanville

Dallas County reported four more coronavirus deaths and 90 new cases on Tuesday.

Three who died were residents of Mesquite and one was a resident of Duncanville. All four had been critically ill at hospitals.

They were in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 90s.

The county has reported 64 COVID-19 deaths and 2,602 cases.

Eighth McKinney resident, 14th in Collin County, dies from coronavirus

An 86-year-old McKinney woman is the 14th coronavirus-related death in Collin County.

The woman had underlying health conditions and died at home Tuesday morning. She’s the eighth McKinney resident to die in the pandemic.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends,” Collin County Judge Chris Hill said in a release. “It is always sad to learn of the death of another member of our Collin County community.”

The county reported 26 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday for a total of 570, including 383 recoveries and 14 deaths. Of the 193 active patients, 17 are hospitalized and 156 are in home isolation.

Denton County reports 18th coronavirus death, 21 new cases

A Lewisville man in his 60s is the 18th coronavirus-related death in Denton County.

The man had been hospitalized after locally contracting COVID-19.

Health officials also announced 21 new cases, bringing the total to 619, including 258 recoveries.

Of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases, 167 patients are residents of Denton, including 54 residents of the Denton State Supported Living Center; 67 live in Carrollton; and 62 live in unincorporated parts of the county. There have been 45 cases in Lewisville.

‘More important things than living,’ Texas’ Dan Patrick says in coronavirus interview

After indicating last month that he would exchange his life to help keep the economy afloat, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Fox News Monday night that he was grateful Texas is taking the first steps to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“I’m sorry to say I was right on this. And I’m thankful that we are now, finally, beginning to open up Texas and other states because it’s been long overdue,” Patrick told talk show host Tucker Carlson on Fox News Monday night.

Patrick recounted the numbers of COVID-19 related deaths in Texas — 495 as of Monday night. He stressed that “every life is valuable” but compared them to the state’s population of 29 million people.

“But 500 people out of 29 million and we’re locked down, and we’re crushing the average worker. We’re crushing small business. We’re crushing the markets. We’re crushing this country,” Patrick said. “And what I said when I was with you that night, there are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us. And I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but man, we got to take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running.”

Is now the time for Texas to build expensive highways, toll roads and passenger rail?

Now may not seem the time to talk about spending big tax dollars on transportation projects, since the economy is in a funk and many Texans are stuck at home due to the coronavirus shutdown.

But, in Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state, elected and appointed officials are working on several multibillion-dollar projects, including proposals that could benefit from an expected infusion of federal stimulus dollars and help get the state’s unemployed masses back to work.

Some of the projects, however, are opposed by lawmakers and lobbying groups who think they’re a waste of money.

In Dallas, the future of a proposed $16 billion high-speed rail line has been thrown into question after the company leading the effort, Texas Central Railway, laid off 28 of its workers, citing financial constraints. That project, which would be privately funded, faces a backlash from mostly-rural lawmakers who oppose the use of farm land for the rail line.

At the same time, the Regional Transportation Council soon may consider initiating up to $5 billion in mobility projects across North Texas, including a possible test track for a new type of transportation involving a Hyperloop pheumatic tube in Dallas-Fort Worth. Other projects under consideration include reconstruction of Loop 820 and I-20 in southern Tarrant County, Texas 183 in Dallas County and LBJ/I-35E in Denton.

Also, Fort Worth’s transit agency Trinity Metro is working on a plan to extend the TEXRail commuter line to the medical district, using federal funds. And, DFW Airport is still planning a new Terminal F, although the project may be delayed for a couple of years because of the financial woes experienced by airlines.

Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, says now is precisely the time to press forward with infrastructure projects that will help Texans get back to work quickly and will ensure the state is able to get back on track in terms of its recent history of aggressive job growth.

Texas approved to let SNAP recipients get their groceries delivered amid coronavirus

Norma Crosby received a call on a recent Saturday afternoon from a blind Houston resident who was out of food and needed help.

The caller was one of the more than 1.4 million Texas households that receive funds each month to help pay for groceries as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. But like the majority of SNAP recipients across the country, he was restricted from using his benefits, more commonly referred to as food stamps, toward getting groceries delivered directly to his doorstep.

That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the administration of SNAP benefits to low-income families, the elderly and the disabled, has long required that electronic benefit transfer cards — which work like debit cards and are known as the “Lone Star Card” in Texas — be used in-store at the time of purchase.

To avoid shopping in-person and risking exposure to the novel coronavirus, many Texans have turned to ordering groceries online and having them delivered to their doorsteps. But at the time, that wasn’t an option available to the Houston SNAP recipient who had called Crosby, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.

“He’s a diabetic, and he hadn’t eaten the day we talked,” Crosby said.

So her organization ordered some food to be sent over to him, and later that day, he was able to find a neighbor who was willing to go to the store and pick up his groceries for him.

“As it happens, this worked out for him, but it doesn’t work out for everyone,” Crosby said. “Not everyone has that support system.”

In April 2019, the USDA launched a pilot program to permit SNAP recipients to order groceries online for delivery in a handful of states. Now, Amazon, Walmart and some local chains accept SNAP payments online in Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon and Washington — with more recently approved and on the way by May of this year.

And Texas submitted a request Friday to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services to join the program to allow SNAP recipients in Texas to have that same ability, Elliott Sprehe, a spokesman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission confirmed in an email Monday.

In a news release Tuesday, the USDA announced that it approved the state’s request and that Texas, along with Missouri and Kentucky, was being added to the pilot program.

Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones honored to be part of coronavirus economic recovery team

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made his first public comments about being named last week to President Trump’s advisory group on the re-opening of the economy following the coronavirus shutdown.

“Everybody has a real attitude of what can we do,” Jones said on a pre-draft video call Tuesday. “We don’t have all of the answers. It was particularly informative for me to hear all of the other people, the president included, talking about again what can we do to mitigate the health losses and mitigate the health issues.”

He also spoke of looking for ways to assist with the nation’s economic recovery. “It was a great exchange,” he said. “Got a lot of information from it myself and was hopefully able to contribute in some, small way as to my ideas.”

Dallas Cowboys COVID-19 pre-draft process with Mike McCarthy more thorough than before

Setting aside the technical issues the bumped the Dallas Cowboys’ pre-draft press conference back by some 30 minutes, the front office has been operating at a high level as they’ve abided by stay-at-home orders adopted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Owner Jerry Jones, who just got rid of his flip phone and is not known to be technologically proficient, said the process has been “seamless” and as thorough as he can remember, even as Mike McCarthy, his new coaching staff work and the scouting department prepare for the NFL draft that starts on Thursday.

“I’ll be very candid with you,” Jones said. “This is, frankly, the most thorough I can remember having all of this information. It seems that it’s presented in a real orderly way. It’s brought out the best order in us. ... I think it’s been a good process and I’m very comfortable that we know everything we would be expected to know about every player.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.