A “stay at home” order for Donley County residents will go into effect tonight, April 6, 2020, at 11:59 p.m., as the number of active local cases of COVID-19 rose to seven Saturday.
Judge John Howard issued the order, which expires at the end of April, following the guidance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s order last week; but unlike the governor, the judge used plainer language in telling residents to stay home.
“I think it’s pretty clear,” Howard said.
The local order, passed under the authority of the county’s declared health emergency, requires every resident of Donley County to “stay at their home or residence and limit movements and personal interaction outside the home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or to conduct essential activities – as elaborated in GA-14.”
The also requires residents who have been medically advised to isolate or quarantine to strictly observe that isolation or quarantine for the entire period until medically cleared, and advises residents to observe social distancing and other guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“The observations and guidance I have attempted to provide over the past several weeks is more important now than ever,” Howard wrote in an article for this week’s Enterprise. “And it will be necessary for us all to be vigilant in the weeks to come. These restrictions are necessary to reduce the spread of a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus.”
A guide to “essential services” under the governor’s order can be found here.
On Saturday, the judge’s office reported that there are now seven confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Donley County residents. Five of those were tested at the Clarendon Family Medical Center, and two were tested outside the county. The patients had all been recovering at home under quarantine until yesterday when one of the patients who tested outside of the county was reportedly hospitalized in Amarillo.
Under Howard’s order and the governor’s order, failure to comply can result in a fine of up to $1,000 or a jail sentence of up to 180 days.
Sheriff Butch Blackburn said he will enforce Howard’s order and urges all county residents to comply.
“I am urging the public to heed this order and not violate it,” Blackburn said. “This order is for your safety, the safety of your family and the public. This means no one should be at your residence but people that live under your roof and you should not be at other people’s residence. You should not go and have a social gathering such as a meal, or cocktail party, with others. I do not want to have to enforce the social distancing and stay at home order but rest assured I will and my office will. This comes with a $1000 fine and up to 180 days in jail, or both. I’m asking the citizens to please be courteous to your fellow citizens and abide by this order. This order is for the whole county and will be enforced.”
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