Texas Gov. orders schools to close, prohibits dine-in eating at bars and restaurants

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Thursday, closing schools across the state while prohibiting dine-in eating at bars and restaurants.

Abbott said the coronavirus knows no geographic boundaries so it cannot be dealt with as a local or regional disaster. Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt declared a public health disaster, the first in more than 100 years.

“It’s an international pandemic,” Abbott said at a news conference.

Effective Friday at midnight, all schools in Texas must close. The executive order will be in place through April 3 and may be extended.

Abbott prohibited social gatherings of groups of 10 or more and ordered bars, restaurants, and gyms to close. However, eateries will be allowed to serve customers through drive-thru, pick-up and delivery options.

READ MORE: Gov. Abbott shuts Texas schools, restricts bars and restaurants through April 3

Visitors will not be allowed at nursing homes, retirement homes or long-term care facilities.

The governor reported more than 140 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across 27 counties in Texas. He attributed at least three deaths in the state to the virus.

“This executive order is not a shelter-in-place order,” Abbott said, noting that essential businesses and critical infrastructure will remain open.

On Thursday, the San Antonio City Council extended Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s public health emergency declaration to 30 days. Council members approved the measure by a unanimous vote.

The number of confirmed cases in the city has climbed to at least 25. A dozen of the cases are related to travel or close contact with one of those travelers. The remaining 13 are under investigation.

None so far has resulted from “community spread,” meaning they were transmitted from person to person within a community rather than being acquired from outside the community.

From March 18, 5 p.m.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a fourth emergency declaration Wednesday, ordering non-essential businesses to close amid the coronavirus pandemic. Confirmed cases rose to 25 according to information released by the Metropolitan Health District at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The declaration goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and will last seven days unless extended by the City Council.

The city’s restaurants, bars, gyms and other commercial businesses (listed below) must shut their doors as officials seek to stop the spread of the virus.

Pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, and other essential businesses will remain open.

Restaurants will be allowed to serve customers through drive-thru, delivery and pick-up orders.

CANCELED EVENTS: San Antonio events canceled or postponed due to coronavirus

“We will get through this and we will get through this together,” Nirenberg said.

The mayor noted that there is no curfew in place but asked people to stay home as much as possible, especially during nighttime hours.

The mayor’s emergency order earlier this week, which restricted gatherings to no more than 50 people, did not apply to bars and restaurants.

Officials have confirmed 25 cases of COVID-19 in the San Antonio area. The Metropolitan Health District has tested a total of 135 people according to information released in a public update on the city’s web site.

On Wednesday, University Health System announced that a nurse and second resident physician had tested positive for COVID-19 following travel exposure. Both are isolated at home and officials are working to locate those who were potentially exposed.

The following facilities are closed temporarily:

– Restaurants, including microbrewery, micro-distilleries or wineries (The establishments must close dining rooms but may offer take-out, drive-thru, or delivery)

– Bars

– Lounges

– Nightclubs

– Taverns

– Private clubs

– Gyms or health studios

– Indoor commercial amusement businesses

– Bowling alleys

– Bingo parlors

– Theaters

The following facilities are exempt from the declaration:

These facilities are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing.

– San Antonio International Airport

– Public or private schools or child care facilities

– Places of worship

– Funeral homes

– Museums (so long as visitors are generally not within arm’s length of one another for extended periods)

– Spaces where 50 or more persons may be in transit or waiting for transit, such as bus stops

– Office spaces

– Hotels

– Residential buildings

– Grocery stores, shopping malls, outdoor markets or other retail establishments

Watch the news conference below: