WHEREAS, beginning in December 2019, a
novel coronavirus, now designated SARS-CoV-2 which causes the coronavirus
disease COVID-19, was detected in Wuhan, China, has spread throughout the world
and has now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization;
and
WHEREAS, symptoms of COVID-19 include
fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and outcomes have ranged from mild to
severe illness and in some cases death; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World
Health Organization Director General declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a
Public Health Emergency of International Concern and advised countries to
prepare for the containment, including active surveillance, early detection,
isolation and case management, contact tracing, and prevention of onward spread
of the disease; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention is closely monitoring the growing number of COVID-19 cases that
have spread into the United States; and
WHEREAS, over 10,442 cases of COVID-19
have been reported in the United States, including 150 deaths; and
WHEREAS, the known cases of COVID-19
diagnosed in the State of Texas is currently increasing daily with 194 positive
cases across Texas, including 5 deaths; and
WHEREAS, a large gathering of
unidentifiable individuals without necessary mitigation for the spread of
infection may pose a risk of the spread of infectious disease; and
WHEREAS, unless the actions as hereby
provided are immediately initiated, avoidable serious illness and deaths could
occur; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 spreads between people
who are in close contact with one another through respiratory droplets produced
when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and WHEREAS, the continued worldwide
spread of COVID-19 presents an imminent threat of widespread illness, which
requires emergency action; and
WHEREAS, extraordinary measures must be
taken to contain COVID-19 and prevent its spread throughout the City of
Clarksville and Red River County, including the limitation of community
gatherings of over ten (10) people and potentially requiring individuals,
groups of individuals, or property to be subject to additional measures that
prevent or control the spread of disease; and
WHEREAS, the State Office of Court
Administration, in consultation with the Supreme Court, Court of Criminal
Appeals, and Regional Presiding Judges has provided guidance recommending
postponement of all non-essential court proceedings, minimizing staff, and
taking all other appropriate measures to prevent the spread of disease; and
WHEREAS, I issued a declaration of local
disaster on March 17, 2020 that included the ability to take measures to reduce
the possibility of exposure to disease and mitigate the risk to, and promote
the health and safety of, the residents of the City of Clarksville; and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted a
resolution extending until March 31, 2020, or until amended or no longer
needed.
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, Texas
Governor Greg Abbot issued an executive order directing schools to close;
banning gatherings of 10 or more people and ordering restaurants to limit
operations to drive-through, delivery and pick-up, and bars; closing indoor
recreation facilities and other public venues; banning people from visiting
nursing homes; starting midnight central standard time on Friday, March 20,
2020 and is effective until midnight April 3; and
WHEREAS, the measures identified in this
Declaration are designed to prevent deaths in the City of Clarksville; and
WHEREAS, the identification of
"community spread" cases of COVID-19 in the City of Clarksville and
the region could potentially signal that transmission of the virus may no
longer be limited to travel to outbreak areas or contact with travelers who
have visited outbreak areas.
NOW, THEREFORE, BY VIRTUE OF THE
AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE GOVERNING BODY, THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE, A GENERAL LAW TYPE A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION,
BODY POLITIC AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS SITUATED IN RED
RIVER COUNTY, TEXAS, AND PURSUANT TO SECTION 418.108 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT
CODE (TEXAS DISASTER ACT), BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF
CLARKSVILLE:
Section 1. Declaration of Local State of
Disaster. A local state of disaster for public health emergency is hereby
declared for the City of Clarksville, a Texas general law Type A municipal
corporation, pursuant to Section 418.108(a) of the Texas Government Code.
Section 2. Duration of Local State of
Disaster. Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 418.108(b), the state of
disaster for public health emergency shall continue as allowed by the
Clarksville City Council until March 31 or until amended or no longer needed.
Section 3. Publicity and Filing.
Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 418.108(c), this declaration of a
local state of disaster for public health emergency shall be given prompt and
general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the City Secretary.
Section 4. Activation of the City
Emergency Management Plan. Pursuant to Section 418.108(d) of the Texas
Government Code, this declaration of a local state of disaster activates the
City of Clarksville emergency management plan and grants the Mayor the powers
set forth herein; including the power to temporarily close City buildings,
facilities, and certain uses thereof; to temporarily postpone all non-essential
municipal court proceedings; to temporarily suspend all City utility shut-offs
to residential customers affected by COVID-19; and to prohibit all public and
private Community Gatherings wherein ten (10) people or more are expected to be
in attendance.
a. For purposes of this Order, a
"Community Gathering" is any indoor or outdoor event or convening
subject to the exceptions and clarifications below, that brings together or is
likely to bring together ten (10) or more persons at the same time in a single
room or other single confined or enclosed space, such as an auditorium,
theatre, stadium (indoor or outdoor), arena or event center, meeting hall,
conference center, large cafeteria, restaurant, or nightclub/bar, or any other
confined indoor or confined outdoor space. For clarity, this includes, but is
not limited to, weddings, religious gatherings, parties, funerals, sporting
events, social events, conferences, and other large gatherings.
b. An outdoor "Community
Gathering" under this Order is limited to events in confined outdoor
spaces, which means an outdoor space that (i) is enclosed by a fence, physical
barrier, or other structure and (ii) where people are present and they are
within arm's length of one another for extended periods.
c. This Order also does not prohibit
gatherings of people in multiple, separate enclosed spaces (including separate
cubicles) in a single building such as a multiplex movie theater, school
classrooms, or different floors of a multilevel building, so long as ten (10)
people are not present in any single space at the same time. This Order also
does not prohibit the use of enclosed spaces where ten (10) or more people may
be present at different times during the day, so long as ten (10) or more
people are not present in the space at the same time. For any gathering covered
by this subsection c., the Mayor of the City of Clarksville strongly encourages
compliance with the CDC Social Distancing Recommendations, including providing
hand sanitizer and tissues and increasing cleaning of commonly and frequently
touched services.
d. For purposes of clarity, a
"Community Gathering" does not include spaces where ten (10) or more
persons may be in transit on buses, trains or airplanes; or waiting for
transit, such as airports, bus stops or terminals. In addition, "Community
Gathering" does not include the following spaces where ten (10) or more
persons may congregate, so long as visitors are generally not within arm's
length of one another for extended periods:
(i) office space or residential
buildings;
(ii) grocery stores, shopping malls, or
other retail establishments where large numbers of people may be present, but
it is unusual for them to be within arm's length of one another for extended
periods; and
(iii) hospitals and medical offices and
facilities.
In all such settings, the Mayor of the
City of Clarksville recommends following Social Distancing Recommendations, and
personal hygiene measures, including providing hand sanitizer and facial
tissues.
Section 5. Temporary Housing and
Emergency Shelter. Pursuant to Section 418.020(d) of the Texas Government Code,
the City of Clarksville is authorized to:
(1) temporarily or permanently acquire
by lease, purchase, or other means sites required for installation of temporary
housing units or emergency shelters for disaster victims; and
(2) enter into arrangements necessary to
prepare or equip the sites to use the housing units or shelters, including
arrangements for the purchase of temporary housing units or shelters and the
payment of transportation charges.
Section 6. Protective Control Measures
and Facilities. Pursuant to Section 122.006 of the Texas Health and Safety
Code, the City of Clarksville is authorized to adopt rules to protect the
health of persons in the City of Clarksville, including quarantine rules to
protect its residents against communicable disease and provide for the
establishment of quarantine stations, emergency hospitals, and other hospitals.
Section 7. Reporting of COVID-19
Testing. The city manager shall establish an order that all public, private,
and commercial labs within the City of Clarksville shall report the number of
COVED-19 tests conducted on a daily basis to the City of Clarksville and
establish a penalty for failure to report.
Section 8. Limits on Large Gatherings.
Pursuant to Section 418.108, the city manager shall establish an order to limit
the size of gatherings to no more than ten (10) people. Section 9. Penalties.
Pursuant to Section 418.173 of the Texas Government Code, Peace officers, City
of Clarksville Code Department inspectors, and the Office of the Clarksville
Fire Marshall, are hereby authorized to enforce this order. Persons who violate
this Order commit a misdemeanor violation punishable by a fine not to exceed
$1,000 or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days. Section 10.
Effective Date. This Proclamation shall take effect immediately upon its
issuance by the Mayor of the City of Clarksville, Texas.
I HEREBY DECLARE A LOCAL STATE OF
DISASTER WITHIN THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE to continue until March 31, 2020, or
until amended or no longer needed. ACCORDINGLY, I further proclaim activation
of the City Emergency Management Plan and the activation of all other statutory
and ordinance powers vested in me and all officers of the City of Clarksville
to act in the premises and for the purposes stated.
Prompt and general publicity is hereby
proclaimed and ordered as to the issuance of this Proclamation. ORDERED this
20th day of March, 2020, in the City of Clarksville, Red River County, Texas,
in witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name. Filed with me, City Secretary
Melissa Gibson of the City of Clarksville this 20th day of March, 2020, by
Mayor Ann Rushing whose signature I hereby certify is true and genuine, with
general publicity of the foregoing Proclamation being put into effect the same
date as the signing thereof.
Mayor Rushing, City Clalksville
Melissa Gibson, City Secretary
Social Distancing Recommendations
1) Vulnerable Populations: Limit Outings
a. Vulnerable populations include people who are: i. 60 years old and older; or
ii. People with certain health conditions such as heart disease. lung disease,
diabetes, kidney disease, and weakened immune systems. b. For vulnerable
populations, don't go to gatherings (of 10 people or more) unless it is
essential. If you can telecommute, you should avoid people who are sick.
2) Workplace and Businesses: Minimize
Exposure a. Suspend nonessential employee travel. b. Minimize the number of
employees working within arm's length of one another, including minimizing or
canceling large in-person meetings and conferences. c. Urge employees to stay
home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits. d.
Permit sick employees to stay home without providing a doctor's note. e.
Consider use of telecommuting options. f. Some people need to be at work to
provide essential services of great benefit to the community. They can take
steps in their workplace to minimize risk.
3) Large Gatherings: Cancel
Non-essential Events a. Recommend cancelling or postponing large gatherings,
such as concerts, sporting events, conventions or large community events. b. Do
not attend any events or gatherings if sick. c. For events that aren't
cancelled, we recommend: i. Having hand washing capabilities, hand sanitizers,
and tissues available; ii. Frequently cleaning high-touch surface areas like
countertops, doorknobs, and handrails; and iii. Finding ways to create physical
space to minimize close contact as much as possible.
4) Schools: Safety First a. Do not have
your child attend school if sick. b. If you have a child with chronic health
conditions, consult the child's doctor about school attendance. c. Frequent
re-education of students and staff regarding personal hygiene measures
(handwashing, etc.) and ensuring that appropriate signs are posted. d. Schools
should equip all classrooms with hand sanitizers and tissues. e. Recommend
rescheduling or cancelling medium to large events that are not essential, even
if the events would otherwise comply with the Order. f. Explore remote teaching
and online options to continue learning. g. Schools should develop a plan for
citywide school closures and families should prepare.
