The invisible enemy — COVID 19 – is gaining strength in our county. We now have a total of 9 cases here in Denton County and more are expected. Our County’s attempt to slow down the spread of this dangerous virus by promoting social distancing and best practices for personal use has been carefully debated and disseminated.
Unfortunately, these suggested voluntary efforts have not been as successful as we had hoped, so more stringent measures have become necessary. Here in Denton County, we recently have required restaurants to remain open only if they are offering carry-out or delivery services and we also required that social gatherings be limited to 50 persons.
However, today, Thursday March 19, 2020, the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, issued an executive order which overrides any county or city declarations as Texas strives to try to flatten the curve on the virus.
During a news conference at the state Capitol, Gov. Abbott announced an executive order that will limit social gatherings to 10 people (10 per room in a multi-room facility); prohibit eating and drinking inside restaurants and bars but still allowing takeout and delivery; close gyms; ban people from visiting nursing homes except for critical care and end-of life visits; temporarily close schools. The executive order is effective midnight Friday through midnight April 3, according to Gov. Abbott.
As Denton County further strives to limit our employees and the public to potential virus exposure, most County buildings will be closed to walk-in public access. However, a majority of County departments will provide services by appoint and we recommend that you call to verify or use our online services during this time. The following Denton County buildings will remain open to the public:
- Denton Courts Building, 1450 E. McKinney Denton
- The Horn Building, 1505 E. McKinney Denton
- Elections Administration, 701 Kimberly Dr. Denton
- Denton County Public Health, 535 S. Loop 288 Denton
- Walker Govt. Center, 190 N. Valley Pkwy Lewisville
We know that this is a tumultuous and frightening time for all of us and as your elected officials, we take very seriously our responsibility for public safety — YOUR safety. We hope and pray that all these measures are merely temporary, a few weeks at most. But in these uncharted times, no one can say for sure. Please know that we will keep you posted as new developments occur. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we all work together to defeat this invisible enemy.
Very sincerely,
Dianne Edmondson
Denton County Pct. 4 Commissioner
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