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A second case of the COVID-19 virus has been confirmed in Donley County, Judge John Howard reported Wednesday afternoon, April 1.

The patient in question was not treated or tested locally but was instead hospitalized, tested, and discharged in Amarillo. Texas Department of State Health Services Region One office confirmed to Howard that the patient received a positive test result.

The patient is medically stable and recovering at their residence under medical quarantine, Howard said.

“Local government officials are now aware of this case and have taken steps to ensure public safety,” Howard said. “The patient is under a self-quarantine, and steps can and will be taken if someone violates a self-quarantine.”

The judge said the patient in the first local COVID-19 case announced yesterday is also doing medically well, is stable, and is improving at home under quarantine.

“Residents of Donley County are strongly advised to follow CDC guidance in order to prevent further spread of the disease in our community,” Howard said.

Donley County reported its first case of the COVID-19 virus Tuesday morning, March 31.

Judge John Howard, MD, said his medical office received notification of lab results late Monday night showing a positive test for the disease and pledged that he would be as transparent as possible with information to protect the community.

Howard’s clinic Monday night notified the patient of the need to remain self-isolated and reported the test to the state health department.

On Tuesday, the judge urged citizens to help stop the disease from spreading.

“Now is our window of opportunity to mitigate the spread of this disease in our own community and keep it from becoming more deadly,” Howard said. “Don’t go out unless you have essential work to do.”

As of Tuesday, the state was reporting almost 43,000 residents had been tested for the disease with 3,266 of those being positive. Forty-one Texans had died from the disease.
Locally, Howard reported that a total of 13 people from Donley County had been tested for COVID-19 with one positive, three negative, and nine results pending.

“We ask that citizens of Donley County to continue to be diligent in their efforts to reduce contact with others as much as possible,” Howard said. “Please follow the CDC recommendations for social distancing; eliminate non-essential activity outside your home even if you are well; avoid groups of people; practice good hand washing and sanitizing practices; and if you are feeling ill, please stay home and avoid others in your home as well.”

Federal law restricted the release of specific patient information, and officials did not give any information about the patient regarding the person’s gender, age, or place of residents other than inside Donley County.

“People just need to act like it is the person next door,” Howard said. “Take those precautions.”

Howard said the patient in question is believed to have contracted the virus from community spread (person to person contact contamination) and has not reported any significant travel.

On Monday the cities of Amarillo and Canyon issued orders calling for their residents to stay at home or “shelter in place” in response to COVID-19 cases in Potter and Randall counties.

Judge Howard did not issue a “shelter in place” order for Donley County, asking instead for residents to continue to follow guidelines already outlined for social distancing. He said he asked for and received voluntary compliance from beauty shops and barber shops to close their businesses after Tuesday for public health reasons.

Howard did encourage churches to continue to hold services only by remote broadcasting, online methods, or otherwise in consistent with established guidelines. He also said that while the worship service at the drive-in theatre was probably a good thing, he encouraged people to only ride in cars with their housemates and not to travel with friends.

The judge said that he hopes citizens will take the situation necessarily and follow the guidelines voluntarily, but he also said that he could issue further executive orders in the future as necessary.

“This situation is very fluid and changes from day to day,” Howard said.

For further information on the COVID-19 virus, you can visit the Center for Disease Control website at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nov/index.html. For business’ and individuals that are concerned: please look at the Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential COVID-19 Exposures.

Howard added that people should contact their health care provider if they have symptoms consistent with the Coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath) to determine if additional evaluation, treatment or testing is appropriate.

The City of Clarendon enacted Phase 3 of its COVID-19 response plan Tuesday afternoon following notification that a positive case of the disease was confirmed in Donley County that morning.

City Administrator David Dockery said City Hall was closed to the public and would be operated for the time being with a skeleton staff, probably just him. Payments may be made at the dropbox at the front of the building, which will be checked daily. The Burton Memorial Library will also remain closed.

The city recycling center was also closed, but residents may still use recycling dumpsters and designated grass and leaf dumpsters around the city. All sanitation services will continue although pick up times may take longer, Dockery said.

City utility workers will be dispatched from City Hall but will be home with their city vehicles unless they are called out.

Work on the city’s two main projects – the aquatics center and the USDA-funded water infrastructure project – will be suspended. Dockery said this decision was due to the fact that many of the workers on those projects are coming in from areas with high COVID-19 infection rates such as Dallas and Amarillo.

City officials were already concerned about how COVID-19 was going to affect the pool and USDA projects prior to the confirmed case this week. During last week’s city meeting, Dockery told the council the aquatics center could face issues with getting lifeguards trained during social distancing and said the USDA project was suffering from further delays because the some of the contractors workers were not showing up due to fears about the coronavirus.

“Everything is happening very fast,” Dockery said. “We are learning every day, and this is something we have never dealt with before.”

City council meetings in the near future will be conducted in a teleconference method such as Skype. Officials are still working out the details of that out but said they would follow the guidance set by the state to comply with the Open Meetings Act.

Dockery and Mayor Sandy Skelton both said they are not considering a shelter in place order like the one issued in Amarillo at this time, but the city is staying in close contact with the county judge’s office as things move forward.

“From a percentage standpoint, one case in Donley County is a higher percentage than 11 cases in Amarillo,” Dockery said.

The Clarendon City Council approved extending the city’s disaster declaration for 60 days among other agenda items at its regular meeting last Thursday, March 26.

The declaration opens access to state and federal resources for the city and local businesses in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that is negatively impacting the nation and the entire world.

The city originally declared an emergency disaster declaration on March 19, but that order only lasted for seven days.

City Administrator David Dockery’s report to the council also reflected how COVID-19 is affecting other areas of city business. City utility income is suffering because students are not at the college and the public schools.

City officials also visited with Sheriff Butch Blackburn about the law enforcement contract between the city and the county, and authorized the mayor to negotiate with the county judge.

A request by Cornell’s Country Store was approved to abandon 150 feet of Orpe Street from US 287 to the alleyway. That street will be divided between Cornell’s on the east and West Texas Gas on the west with the city maintaining a utility easement.

The council voted in favor of increasing the fee to impound animals after hours to $100.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday afternoon that he was ordering public schools to remain closed until May 4 as the state continues to battle COVID-19.

Clarendon and Hedley schools continue to work to deliver educational materials and meals to their students. Clarendon Superintendent Jarod Bellar reported that CCISD served a five-day total of 493 breakfasts and 700 lunches last week.

The Donley County Judge’s office announced Tuesday morning that a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Donley County.

Judge John Howard, MD, has released the following public notification. We will have more information, as this story develops.

“To the citizens of Donley County:

“My office has received written notification from a private lab that there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in a Donley County resident. I was notified on March 30, 2020, and contacted the Texas Department of Health per protocol. I want the public to be aware that we will be as transparent as possible with any necessary information that may affect us individually and as a community.

“HIPPA restricts the release of specific patient information about the patient’s medical condition but we can report the patient is currently at home, where they have been quarantined and are continuing to be medically supervised. There is an ongoing investigation by the health department, and they will follow up on people and locations the patient may have been while ill. It is believed that the infected individual contracted the virus from community spread (person to person contact contamination) and has not reported any significant travel.

“We ask that citizens of Donley County to continue to be diligent in their efforts to reduce contact with others as much as possible. Please follow the CDC recommendations for social distancing, eliminate non-essential activity outside your home even if you are well, avoid groups of people, practice good hand washing and sanitizing practices, and if you are feeling ill please stay home and avoid others in your home as well.

“For further information on the COVID-19 virus, you can visit the Center for Disease Control website at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nov/index.html. For business’ and individuals that are concerned: please look at the Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential COVID-19 Exposures.

“Additionally, please contact your health care provider if you have symptoms consistent with the Coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath) to determine if additional evaluation, treatment or testing is appropriate.”

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has announced the expected reopening of US 287 in Hedley by the close of business on Friday, March 27.

Final striping will be completed earlier in the week with the traffic swap to occur at the end of the week.

“Once the new roadway is striped for the final configuration and all main lanes are open to traffic, locals are encouraged to use the new auxiliary lanes for turning movements off US 287 at Bailey and McDougal Streets,” stated Childress District Area Engineer Matt Herbstritt. “While access to Hedley will be restored by Bailey and McDougal Streets, the SH 203 intersection will remain closed until the drainage improvements are finalized at that location.”

“Workers will continue to be present on site over the coming weeks as the contractor finalizes drainage and illumination improvements,” ended Herbstritt.

For more information, contact TxDOT Public Information Officer Ginger Wilson at (940) 937-7288.

Howardwick Baptist Church Pastor Jim Fox announced Tuesday that plans are being made for a community-wide worship service to be held at the Sandell Drive-In this Sunday at 10 a.m.

Fox said he and several other local churches were working together on the plan, which would have a stage set up near the Sandell screen with residents being able to watch and listen from their cars. Musicians from the participating churches would each take a turn delivering a message and singing in groups of five or less.

The audio would be broadcast over the Sandell’s FM band that is usually used for movies.

“The Lord laid this on my heart, and I think our community needs it,” Fox said.

Fox said there are three basic rules that everyone must follow. Everyone must stay in their cars. There is to be no honking for “Amens.” And there are no bathrooms available.