Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – April 18, 2020

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced that masks will be required starting today. His order states that to the greatest extent possible all people over the age of two should wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth when patronizing an essential business or riding on public transportation. Also, to the greatest extent possible, all employees of essential businesses should wear face/nose coverings at work. Under the order, essential businesses may refuse admission or service to anyone without a face covering. For questions about this new order, visit the county’s FAQ page.

The testing locations at the American Airlines Center and Ellis David FieldHouse have expanded their capacity from a maximum of 250 tests per day to 500 tests per day. Those eligible to receive a test at those sites those over the age of 65 with chronic health conditions or anyone exhibiting shortness of breath, cough and a fever of 99.6+.

Walgreens has announced they will open two more North Texas testing sites at 2600 S. Buckner Blvd. in Dallas and 8600 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth. Once operational, each site will provide 160 free tests per day. Stay tuned for more information on a projected timeline for those sites to open.

In a press conference yesterday, Governor Abbott made several announcements about the next step for Texas as we navigate COVID-19. These announcements include:

• Schools in Texas will remain closed for in-class learning for the remainder of the school year. Education Commissioner Mike Morath will be providing more information and updates soon.

• The Governor has established a Strike Force to advise him on how to conduct a phased re-opening of the economy. The task force includes state leaders like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, Comptroller Glenn Hegar former federal Medicare and Medicaid Commissioner Mark McClellan. It also includes healthcare experts like state health commissioner John Hellerstedt, former Rep. John Zerwas and at least two physicians. The force also includes business leaders including Dallas’ own James Huffines, Bob Rowling, Arcilia Acosta, Tom Luce and Ross Perot, Jr.

• Retailers may begin providing “to-go” service to customers starting on April 24^th.

• Starting on April 22^nd, the ban on elective medical procedures will be lifted. This will allow for procedures like biopsies for cancer to resume.

• State parks will re-open on April 20^th. Visitors will have to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and refrain from gathering in groups of 5 or more.

• The Governor will be making further announcements on April 27^th.

Earlier this week, Governor Abbott announced that his Public Safety Office will provide $38 million in federal funds to local units of government in Texas. Jurisdictions may use this funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Allowable projects and purchases include overtime, equipment, supplies, training, travel expenses, and any costs incurred by local governments as they follow the CDC guidelines for combatting COVID-19.

Governor Abbott announced that Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund, along with other financial institutions are partnering to provide $50 million in loans to small businesses in Texas that have been impacted by COVID-19. These loans, made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, will primarily be used for payroll so that employees can continue to receive paychecks. Small businesses who retain their employees will be partially or wholly forgiven for the loan. Goldman Sachs will provide the capital and LiftFund will administer the funding to qualified small businesses. Business owners can apply for a loan and find more information about the program on the LiftFund website.

The Governor’s Office, in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission, has launched a Small Business Webinar series. The webinars are designed to provide Texas small business owners and entrepreneurs with timely, relevant, and actionable information on COVID-19 recovery resources. The series plans to cover a variety of resources available including information on programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration that may be of assistance to Texas businesses impacted by COVID-19. Businesses can also connect with local experts and support systems. You can watch the first webinar here.

As of noon on April 17^th, more than 169,000 people had been tested for COVID-19 in Texas, with over 17,000 confirmed cases in 192 of our 254 counties.

Governor Abbott has waived several regulations to allow expanded healthcare capabilities in Texas. Many of these orders lift restrictions to allow for medical professionals to more easily help the COVID-19 response in our state.

Here in Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson has implemented the daily practice of gathering and reporting the data on hospital bed and ventilator capacity in Dallas hospitals. This data allows for our leaders to have an accurate picture of our needs and stay ahead of the curve with our COVID-19 response. The daily reports can be found here.

As a reminder, we’ve set up a COVID-19 webpage in coordination with the United Way.  We encourage you visit the page to submit your questions, requests for assistance or to learn more about how to help those in our community who are deeply impacted by this crisis.

I’ll send further updates and information as needed. In the meantime, should you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reply to this email or call us at (469) 554-0428.