MORE TEXAS CITIES ENACT ‘SHELTER IN PLACE’ ORDERS

  

More major Texas cities have issued orders telling their residents to stay in their homes.

Houston, Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth and Bryan/College Station all issued stay-at-home orders, Tuesday, following the lead of local officials in the Dallas and San Antonio areas earlier this week.

The restrictions mean residents must stay at home except for essential activities. Generally, businesses including grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants with deliver and takeout will remain open during such orders.

Governor Greg Abbott, who urged Texans to “stay at home,” previously banned dine-in eating at restaurants and social gatherings of 10 or more and he closed schools, gyms and bars. He said he’ll keep monitoring how well Texans heed the call for social distancing, and he hinted that stronger statewide measures could be coming.

Eleven deaths have been reported so far in Texas, along with more than 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19.  It has now appeared in 65 of Texas’ 254 counties, with more than 11,000 tests conducted statewide.