At the June 24 City Council meeting, Council extended the declaration of disaster and public health emergency until the Disaster Declaration put in place by Governor Abbott for the State of Texas expires.
The City has created a designated webpage for COVID-19 information including Schertz’s response, confirmed case counts by County, State, and County health services information, and current State and County orders. All of this information can be found at Schertz.com/COVID19.
CURRENT CASE COUNTS- UPDATED AS OF 6/24/2020 at 3:00 PM
UPDATE JUNE 25
Governor Greg Abbott has issued Executive Order GA-27 to ensure hospital bed availability for COVID-19 patients as Texas faces an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The Governor’s order suspends elective surgeries at hospitals in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties. Under this order, the Governor directs all hospitals in these counties to postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient who without immediate performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death, as determined by the patient’s physician.
Through proclamation, the Governor can add or subtract from the list of counties included in the Executive Order to address surges in hospitalizations that may arise in other parts of the state.
update june 23
As COVID-19 cases rise in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has now expanded the ability of mayors and county judges to impose restrictions on outdoor gatherings of over 100 people. Previously, this applied only to outdoor gatherings over 500 people. The Governor has also directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to enact emergency rules that provide strict health and safety standards and procedures related to COVID-19 for child care centers in Texas. These two actions are based on data showing an increase in COVID-19 transmission stemming from large gatherings and child care centers. The amendment to Executive Order GA-26 can be found here.
Via Executive Order GA-26, Governor Greg Abbott moved Texas into the third phase of the State of Texas’ plan to safely open the economy while containing the spread of COVID-19. Under Phase III, all businesses in Texas are able to operate at up to 50% capacity, with very limited exceptions. Businesses that previously have been able to operate at 100% capacity may continue to do so, and most outdoor areas are not subject to capacity limits.
Special provisions have also been made for outdoor gatherings, such as Fourth of July celebrations, but it is imperative that local officials and public health officials collaborate on safe standards. These provisions are included in the Governor’s Executive Order and are also available on the Open Texas webpage.
Details and a full list of guidelines, openings, and relevant dates can be found here.
All businesses should continue to follow the minimum standard health protocols from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Reminders for individuals going out:
- Individuals are strongly encouraged to wear appropriate face coverings.
- People should not be in groups greater than ten when possible.
- People over the age of 65 are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.
- People are still asked to avoid nursing homes, state-supported living centers, assisted living facilities, or long-term care facilities.
