The Denton County Commissioners Court unanimously agreed Tuesday to extend its stay-at-home mandate through April 30 to match the timeline of the Governor’s executive order amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Denton County Executive Order and Disaster Declaration was first issued by Denton County Judge Andy Eads on March 24, and was ratified and extended by the Commissioners Court on March 27 and March 31. The order includes a stay-at-home mandate, continued closure of non-essential businesses and prohibition of non-essential activities to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“The extension of the stay at home mandate in Denton County was intended to give our residents the full scope of what health officials are recommending to continue to flatten the curve in our area,” Eads said. “We are focused on the health and wellbeing of all residents and feel this extension is necessary to ensure our medical facilities can handle the increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“With more than 330 cases in Denton County and growing daily, we believe community spread is endemic within our region. We realize this decision has a major impact on our businesses and we already are making plans to assist in the recovery of our business community once this pandemic comes to an end.”
The order ratified on Tuesday addresses some questions that residents have had about particular activities. The order plainly states that golf courses must be closed. Regarding religious services, the order says that they are permitted if they can’t be conducted from home or through remote services and only as long as social distancing is maintained. The order “strongly encourages” religious services be held outdoors whereby people can stay in their vehicles. The order more clearly states that nothing is prohibiting members of one household from gathering.
A copy of the declaration is available at dentoncounty.gov.
