After first coronavirus death, Burleson mayor urges churches to hold off services
Burleson reported its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, that of a 78-year-old man.
The city has confirmed 34 COVID-19 cases, including 20 recoveries.
Burleson Mayor Ken Shetter urged church leaders to consider holding off on in-person services despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening orders, which go into effect on Friday.
“We are approaching or are at the peak of the curve and the risk of spreading COVID-19 has not yet diminished in the state of Texas, particularly in the Tarrant County area,” Shetter said Tuesday during a briefing carried live on Facebook. “Under the CDC guidelines it’s still not safe for people to gather. Hold off until we’ve seen 14 consecutive days of declining rates of new cases.”
Johnson County has confirmed 76 coronavirus cases, including four deaths and 38 recoveries.
Shetter cautioned that the reopening plan does not mean residents are free to congregate or stop adhering to social distancing guidelines.
“If we were to do that, according to every health official that I’ve heard from, we would be putting ourselves at great risk of experiencing a secondary surge,” he said. “We’re still not through the first surge yet.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 6:05 PM.
