Texas limits outdoor gatherings of 10 or more. Fort Worth likely won’t grant exemptions
Planning a pool party, graduation celebration, softball game or wedding?
As coronavirus cases continue to rise, outside events such as these that include more than 10 people now must be approved by local officials, under a proclamation issued by Gov. Greg Abbott that went into effect July 3.
In Tarrant County, city residents must get permission from the mayor and those in the unincorporated part of the county must get permission from the county judge.
But don’t think that approval is a given.
Fort Worth, for instance, is not accepting applications for exemptions, said Laken Rapier, a spokeswoman for Mayor Betsy Price.
Rapier said very few requests for exemptions have been received. There is a potential for exemptions, “but those would be few and far between,” she said. Any exceptions would have to include masks and social distancing.
In Arlington, the fire marshal oversees the approval process for these requests. Once someone submits a request, it is reviewed by the fire chief, public health authority and mayor, said Susan Schrock, a spokeswoman for the city.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said his office has created a form that must be submitted 48 hours in advance of the proposed event. The form asks about the event, its time, location and how many people are expected to attend. It also asks what safety precautions will be taken to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Less than a dozen requests have been submitted to Tarrant County, and Whitley said he has not denied any of them.
“I’ve approved events, but I’ve put certain restrictions in place,” he said. “They must try to practice social distancing, must wear masks.”
One event he said he might deny would be a pool party with perhaps 20 or 30 people.
“I will have to give some real thought to that,” Whitley said. “I haven’t seen the ability of people to get into a pool with masks on and be real effective. I would have to give real thought to that.”
Not all county officials agree with the governor’s decision to limit outdoor gatherings to 10 people unless local officials give permission.
Collin County Judge Chris Hill, for instance, issued a proclamation on July 2 granting overall approval for any outside gathering of 10 or more residents in his county.
This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
