As Denton County COVID 19 Virus positive cases continue to mount (more than 12 dozen and two deaths at the time of this writing), your County Commissioners continue to monitor the situation and investigate the various options available to us. We are keenly aware that stopping the spread of this virus is our main mission — protecting the public’s health. Doing that has involved making some hard — and yes, very uncomfortable — decisions including closing some kinds of businesses and restricting our residents’ activities by enacting a “Stay at Home” Executive Order.
We know that there is some confusion about this policy, so to expedite questions from the public, we have instituted a special email for that purpose: [email protected], which is active now for your use.
As we all know, those who are over 65, particularly with underlying health conditions, are prime targets for this invisible enemy. Many restaurants are offering delivery or curbside pickup which saves many of us the chore of going out to a crowded grocery store and the public exposure that means.
Elections Postponed
One consequence of this pandemic is that the local elections will be moved from May 2 to Nov. 3 in compliance with a City Council vote to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order allowing the date change. Given the uncertainty of this pandemic, it could prove nearly impossible to recruit enough polling site workers both for Early Voting in mid-April and Election Day on May 2. Those who work the polls deal with hundreds of people, some of whom might be carrying the virus, and that’s a risk that we shouldn’t ask those workers to take.
Additionally, and for the same reasons, the Primary Runoff Elections for both the Republican and Democrat parties will be moved from May 16 to July 14 by the Governor’s Executive Order.
While no one can predict how long the crisis will last, officials are very hopeful that moving these elections will make voting safe.
Senior Morning Shopping Hours
Several area grocers are offering special “senior” early morning shopping hours: Kroger – Mon. & Thurs. 7-9; Sam’s – 7-8 daily; Target – all week 6 – 7:30; Walmart – Tues. 6-7, Albertsons – Tues. & Thurs. 7-9. There may be others as well.
Many of us are helping others here in our community with necessary errands and chores – that’s what neighbors do!
What’s Ahead For Us?
These are tumultuous times. As we continue to evaluate data and potential actions, whatever path seems to be best for Denton County residents is the one we will take. Thank you for following our guidelines and understanding the big picture, even if it means no golf and no beauty salon appointments for a while!
Stay safe, pray for our country’s deliverance from this pandemic, and please email us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns that you may have.
Contact Commissioner Edmondson by email: [email protected] or phone her at 940-262-3004.
