NAVARRO COUNTY ISSUES “STAY HOME, STAY SAFE” ORDER
COUNTY OF NAVARRO
AMENDED ORDER OF NAVARRO COUNTY JUDGE H.M. DAVENPORT
Stay Home, Stay Safe DATE AMENDED ORDER ISSUED: March 24, 2020
WHEREAS, pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 418.108, Navarro County Judge H.M. Davenport issued a Declaration of Local Disaster for Public Health Emergency on March 18, 2020, due to a novel coronavirus now designated SARS-CoV2 which causes the disease COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, on March 18, 2020, Navarro County Judge H.M. Davenport issued an Order in furtherance of his authority to protect the safety and welfare of the public by slowing the spread of the virus; and,
WHEREAS, the on-going evaluation of circumstances related to the virus and the updated recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of State Health Services warrant the March 18, 2020 Order of County Judge H.M Davenport be amended;
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, President Trump acknowledged the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic, releasing strict new guidelines to limit people’s interactions, including that Americans should avoid groups of more than 10 people;
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Navarro County Commissioners Court issued an Order of Continuance of Declaration of Local Disaster for Public Health Emergency that affirmed the activation of the Navarro County Emergency Management Plan and extends the Declaration of Local Disaster until 11:59 p.m. on April 8, 2020, unless rescinded by order of the Commissioners Court.
THEREFORE, the March 18, 2020, Order of County Judge H.M. Davenport is hereby AMENDED as follows:
Summary: The virus that causes 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is easily transmitted through person to person contact, especially in group settings, and it is essential that the spread of the virus be slowed to protect the ability of public and private health care providers to handle the influx of new patients and safeguard public health and safety. Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus, and the need to protect the most vulnerable members of the community, this Order requires all individuals anywhere in Navarro County to shelter in place – that is, stay at home – except for certain essential activities and work to provide essential business and government services or perform essential public infrastructure construction, including housing. This Order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. on March 25, 2020 and will continue through 11:59 p.m. on April 8, 2020, subject to the limited exceptions and under the terms and conditions more particularly set forth below.
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 418.108, NAVARRO COUNTY JUDGE H.M. DAVENPORT ORDERS:
1. Effective as of 11:59 p.m. on March 25, 2020, and continuing until 11:59 p.m. on April 8,
2020:
(a) All individuals currently living within Navarro County are ordered to shelter at their place of residence. For the purposes of this Order, residences include hotels, motels, shared rentals, and similar facilities. To the extent individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces, they must always, as reasonably as possible, maintain social distancing of at least six feet from any other person when they are outside their residence. All persons may leave their residences only for Essential Activities, or to provide or perform Essential Governmental Functions, or to operate Essential Businesses, all as defined in Section 2.
(b) All businesses operating within Navarro County, except Essential Businesses as defined in below in Section 2, are required to cease all activities at facilities located within the County. For clarity, businesses may continue operations consisting exclusively of employees or contractors performing activities at their own residences (i.e. working from home). To the greatest extent possible, all Essential Businesses shall comply with the Social Distancing Guidelines attached, including maintaining six-foot social distancing for both employees and the general public.
(c) All public or private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit are prohibited, except as otherwise provided herein. Nothing in this Order prohibits the gathering of members of a household or living unit.
(d) Restaurants with or without drive-in or drive-through services and microbreweries, micro-distilleries, or wineries may only provide take out, delivery, or drive-through services as allowed by law.
(e) Religious and worship services are strongly encouraged to be provided by video and teleconference. Religious institutions must limit in-person staff to ten (10) people or less when preparing for or conducting video or teleconference services, and all individuals must follow the Social Distancing Guidelines including the six-foot social distancing.
(f) All elective medical, surgical, and dental procedures are prohibited anywhere in Navarro County. Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dental offices, and other medical facilities are directed to identify procedures that are deemed “elective” by assessing which procedures can be postponed or cancelled based on patient risk considering the emergency need for redirection of resources to COVID-19 response.
2. Definitions:
(a). For purposes of this Order, individuals may leave their residence only to perform
any of the following “Essential Activities”:
I. To engage in activities or perform tasks essential to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members (for example, obtaining medical supplies or medication, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies need to work from home).
ii. To obtain necessary services or supplies for themselves and their family or household members, or to deliver those services or supplies to others (for example, food, pet supply, and any other household consumer products, and products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.
iii.. To engage in outdoor activity, provided the individuals comply with social distancing requirements of six feet (for example, walking, biking, hiking, golf, tennis, or running).
iv. To perform work providing essential products and services at an Essential Business or to otherwise carry out activities specifically permitted in this Order.
v. To care for a family member or pet in another household.
(b). For purposes of this Order, “Essential Businesses” means the following as described in the CISA.gov current “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce”:
HEALTHCARE / PUBLIC HEALTH • Workers providing COVID-19 testing; Workers that perform critical clinical research needed for COVID-19 response • Caregivers (e.g., physicians, dentists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection control and quality assurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, speech pathologists and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists) • Hospital and laboratory personnel (including accounting, administrative, admitting and discharge, engineering, epidemiological, source plasma and blood donation, food service, housekeeping, medical records, information technology and operational technology, nutritionists, sanitarians, respiratory therapists, etc.) • Workers in other medical facilities (including Ambulatory Health and Surgical, Blood Banks, Clinics, Community Mental Health, Comprehensive Outpatient rehabilitation, End Stage Renal Disease, Health Departments, Home Health care, Hospices, Hospitals, Long Term Care, Organ Pharmacies, Procurement Organizations, Psychiatric Residential, Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers) • Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, pharmaceuticals (including materials used in radioactive drugs), blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products • Public health / community health workers, including those who compile, model, analyze and communicate public health information • Blood and plasma donors and the employees of the organizations that operate and manage related activities • Workers that manage health plans, billing, and health information, who cannot practically work remotely Workers who conduct community-based public health functions, conducting epidemiologic surveillance, compiling, analyzing and communicating public health information, who cannot practically work remotely • Workers performing cybersecurity functions at healthcare and public health facilities, who cannot practically work remotely • Workers conducting research critical to COVID-19 response • Workers performing security, incident management, and emergency operations functions at or on behalf of healthcare entities including healthcare coalitions, who cannot practically work remotely • Workers who support food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, such as those residing in shelters • Pharmacy employees necessary for filling prescriptions • Workers performing mortuary services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemetery workers • Workers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper recovery, handling, identification, transportation, tracking, storage, and disposal of human remains and personal effects; certify cause of death; and facilitate access to mental/behavioral health services to the family members, responders, and survivors of an incident
LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS • Personnel in emergency management, law enforcement, Emergency Management Systems, fire, air medical, and corrections, including front line and management • Emergency Medical Service Technicians • 911 call center employees • Fusion Center employees • Hazardous material responders from government and the private sector. • Workers – including contracted vendors — who maintain, manufacture, or supply digital systems infrastructure supporting law enforcement emergency service, and response operations.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE • Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail that sells human food, animal/pet food, and beverage products • Restaurant carry-out and quick serve food operations – Carry-out and delivery food employees • Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing (packers, meat processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging • Farm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically • Farm workers and support service workers to include those who field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputs • Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor- managed inventory controllers and blockchain managers • Workers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail • Company cafeterias – in-plant cafeterias used to feed employees • Workers in food testing labs in private industries and in institutions of higher education • Workers essential for assistance programs and government payments • Employees of companies engaged in the production, storage, transport, and distribution of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aids • Animal agriculture workers to include those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed, and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants, renderers, and associated regulatory and government workforce • Workers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, including, but not limited to timber, paper, and other wood products • Employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural production and distribution
ENERGY Electricity industry: • Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore, or are involved in the development, transportation, fuel procurement, expansion, or operation of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance technicians • Workers needed for safe and secure operations at nuclear generation • Workers at generation, transmission, and electric black start facilities • Workers at Reliability Coordinator (RC), Balancing Authorities (BA), and primary and backup Control Centers (CC), including but not limited to independent system operators, regional transmission organizations, and balancing authorities • Mutual assistance personnel
• IT and OT technology staff – for EMS (Energy Management Systems) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and utility data centers; Cybersecurity engineers; cybersecurity risk management • Vegetation management crews and traffic workers who support
• Environmental remediation/monitoring technicians • Instrumentation, protection, and control technicians. Petroleum workers: • Petroleum product storage, pipeline, marine transport, terminals, rail transport, road transport • Crude oil storage facilities, pipeline, and marine transport • Petroleum refinery facilities • Petroleum security operations center employees and workers who support emergency response services • Petroleum operations control rooms/centers • Petroleum drilling, extraction, production, processing, refining, terminal operations, transporting, and retail for use as end-use fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturing • Onshore and offshore operations for maintenance and emergency response • Retail fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops, and the distribution systems that support them. Natural and propane gas workers: • Natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, including compressor stations • Underground storage of natural gas • Natural gas processing plants, and those that deal with natural gas liquids • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities • Natural gas security operations center, natural gas operations dispatch and control rooms/centers natural gas emergency response and customer emergencies, including natural gas leak calls • Drilling, production, processing, refining, and transporting natural gas for use as end-use fuels, feedstocks for chemical manufacturing, or use in electricity generation • Propane gas dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies, including propane leak calls • Propane gas service maintenance and restoration, including call centers• Processing, refining, and transporting natural liquids, including propane gas, for use as end-use fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturing • Propane gas storage, transmission, and distribution centers
WATER AND WASTEWATER Employees needed to operate and maintain drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure, including: • Operational staff at water authorities • Operational staff at community water systems • Operational staff at wastewater treatment facilities • Workers repairing water and wastewater conveyances and performing required sampling or monitoring • Operational staff for water distribution and testing • Operational staff at wastewater collection facilities • Operational staff and technical support for SCADA Control systems • Chemical suppliers for wastewater and personnel protection • Workers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting water and wastewater operations
TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS • Employees supporting or enabling transportation functions, including truck drivers, bus drivers, dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect infrastructure (including those that require cross-jurisdiction travel) • Employees of firms providing services that enable logistics operations, including cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use. • Mass transit workers • Workers responsible for operating dispatching passenger, commuter and freight trains and maintaining rail infrastructure and equipment • Maritime transportation workers – port workers, mariners, equipment operators • Truck drivers who haul hazardous and waste materials to support critical infrastructure, capabilities, functions, and services • Automotive repair and maintenance facilities • Manufacturers and distributors (to include service centers and related operations) of packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operations • Postal and shipping workers, to include private companies • Employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers • Air transportation employees, including air traffic controllers and maintenance personnel, ramp workers, aviation and aerospace safety, security, and operations personnel and accident investigations • Workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo by air transportation, including flight crews, maintenance, airport operations, and other on- and off- airport facilities workers
PUBLIC WORKS • Workers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential dams, locks and levees • Workers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential public works facilities and operations, including bridges, water and sewer main breaks, fleet maintenance personnel, construction of critical or strategic infrastructure, traffic signal maintenance, emergency location services for buried utilities, maintenance of digital systems infrastructure supporting public works operations, and other emergent issues • Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
• Support, such as road and line clearing, to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communications • Support to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste and hazardous waste
COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Communications: • Maintenance of communications infrastructure- including privately owned and maintained communication systems- supported by technicians, operators, call-centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations (including cable marine depots and submarine cable ship operators), Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment • Workers who support radio, television, and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering and reporting • Workers at Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations, and Network Operations staff, engineers and/or technicians to manage the network or operate facilities • Engineers, technicians and associated personnel responsible for infrastructure construction and restoration, including contractors for construction and engineering of fiber optic cables • Installation, maintenance and repair technicians that establish, support or repair service as needed • Central office personnel to maintain and operate central office, data centers, and other network office facilities • Customer service and support staff, including managed and professional services as well as remote providers of support to transitioning employees to set up and maintain home offices, who interface with customers to manage or support service environments and security issues, including payroll, billing, fraud, and troubleshooting • Dispatchers involved with service repair and restoration (Information Technology): • Workers who support command centers, including, but not limited to Network Operations Command Center, Broadcast Operations Control Center and Security Operations Command Center • Data center operators, including system administrators, HVAC & electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, data transfer solutions engineers, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators • Client service centers, field engineers, and other technicians supporting critical infrastructure, as well as manufacturers and supply chain vendors that provide hardware and software, and information technology equipment (to include microelectronics and semiconductors) for critical infrastructure • Workers responding to cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure, including medical facilities, SLTT governments and federal facilities, energy and utilities, and banks and financial institutions, and other critical infrastructure categories and personnel • Workers supporting the provision of essential global, national and local infrastructure for computing services (incl. cloud computing services), business infrastructure, web-based services, and critical manufacturing • Workers supporting communications systems and information technology used by law enforcement, public safety, medical, energy and other critical industries • Support required for continuity of services, including janitorial/cleaning personnel
OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS • Workers to ensure continuity of building functions • Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures • Elections personnel • Federal, State, and Local, Tribal, and Territorial employees who support Mission Essential Functions and communications networks • Trade Officials (FTA negotiators; international data flow administrators) • Weather forecasters • Workers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting other critical government operations • Workers at operations centers necessary to maintain other essential functions • Workers who support necessary credentialing, vetting and licensing operations for transportation workers • Customs workers who are critical to facilitating trade in support of the national emergency response supply chain • Educators supporting public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing other essential functions, if operating under rules for social distancing • Hotel Workers where hotels are used for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures
CRITICAL MANUFACTURING • Workers necessary for the manufacturing of materials and products needed for medical supply chains, and for supply chains associated with transportation, energy, communications, food and agriculture, chemical manufacturing, nuclear facilities, the operation of dams, water and wastewater treatment, emergency services, and the defense industrial base. Additionally, workers needed to maintain the continuity of these manufacturing functions and associated supply chains.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS • Workers at nuclear facilities, workers managing medical waste, workers managing waste from pharmaceuticals and medical material production, and workers at laboratories processing test kits • Workers who support hazardous materials response and cleanup • Workers who maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting hazardous materials management operations
FINANCIAL SERVICES • Workers who are needed to process and maintain systems for processing financial transactions and services (e.g., payment, clearing, and settlement; wholesale funding; insurance services; and capital markets activities) • Workers who are needed to provide consumer access to banking and lending services, including ATMs, and to move currency and payments (e.g., armored cash carriers) • Workers who support financial operations, such as those staffing data and security operations centers
CHEMICAL • Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products. • Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging items • Workers supporting the production of protective cleaning and medical solutions, personal protective equipment, and packaging that prevents the contamination of food, water, medicine, among others essential products • Workers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities (particularly those with high risk chemicals and/ or sites that cannot be shut down) whose work cannot be done remotely and requires the presence of highly trained personnel to ensure safe operations, including plant contract workers who provide inspections • Workers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturing
DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE • Workers who support the essential services required to meet national security commitments to the federal government and U.S. Military. These individuals, include but are not limited to, aerospace; mechanical and software engineers, manufacturing/production workers; IT support; security staff; security personnel; intelligence support, aircraft and weapon system mechanics and maintainers • Personnel working for companies, and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense, and government-owned/contractor- operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities
Essential Retail. Food service providers, including grocery stores, warehouse stores, big-box stores, bodegas, liquor stores, gas stations and convenience stores, farmers’ markets that sell food products and household staples. Food cultivation, including farming, fishing, and livestock. Businesses that ship or deliver groceries, food, goods or services directly to residences. Restaurants and other facilities that prepare and serve food, but only for delivery or carry out. Schools and other entities that typically provide free services to students or members of the public on a pick-up and take-away basis only. The restriction of delivery or carry out does not apply to cafes and restaurants located within hospital and medical facilities. Laundromats, dry cleaners, and laundry service providers. Gas stations, auto-supply, auto and bicycle repair, hardware stores, and related facilities. Businesses that supply products needed for people to work from home.
Providers of Basic Necessities to Economically Disadvantaged Populations. Businesses that provide food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals.
Essential Services Necessary to Maintain Essential Operations of Residences or Other Essential Businesses. Trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal, mail and shipping services, building cleaning, maintenance and security, warehouse/distribution and fulfillment, storage for essential businesses, funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries. Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operations of residences and Essential Businesses. Professional services, such as legal or accounting services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities. Businesses that supply other essential businesses with support or supplies needed to operate.
News Media. Newspapers, television, radio, and other media services.
Childcare Services. Childcare facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this Order to work as permitted.
3. Any manufacturer who retools so that a substantial part of their business is for the purpose of manufacturing and producing ventilators, hand sanitizer, and medical PPE may apply for an “essential business” exemption under this Order.
4. Grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouse stores, hospitals, and medical facilities are experiencing high levels of demand for many products, requiring more deliveries from manufacturers and distribution centers to serve their customers. Several Texas cities and local associations have implemented restrictions on delivery hours to stores to mitigate truck noise and traffic. Due to the need to deliver products as quickly and efficiently as possible during this critical time frame, this Order hereby suspends all delivery hour restrictions for transport to or from any entity involved in the selling or distribution of food products, medicine, or medical supplies in Navarro County for the next 60 days.
5. Due to the public health emergency, the Office of the Navarro County Judge hereby advises the Navarro County Justices of the Peace to suspend eviction hearings and writs of possession for at least the next 60 days to prevent renters from being displaced.
6. If someone in a household has tested positive for coronavirus, the household is ordered to isolate at home. Members of the household cannot go to work, school, or any other community function.
7. Nursing homes, retirement, and long-term care facilities are instructed by this order to prohibit non-essential visitors from accessing their facilities unless to provide critical assistance or for end-of-life visitation.
8. Additionally, the Office of the Navarro County Judge and the Health Authority instructs all employees to remain at home if sick.
9. This Order shall be effective until 11:59 p.m. on April 8, 2020, or until it is either rescinded,
superseded, or amended pursuant to applicable law.
10. The County of Navarro must promptly provide copies of this Order by posting on the Navarro County, Navarro County OEM, Navarro County Sheriff’s, and Navarro County Health Department’s websites. In addition, the owner, manager, or operator of any facility that is likely to be impacted by this Order is strongly encouraged to post a copy of this Order onsite and to provide a copy to any member of the public asking for a copy. If any subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Order or any application of it to any person, structure, gathering, or circumstance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of a court of competent jurisdiction, then such decision will not affect the validity of the remaining portions or applications of this Order.
IT IS SO ORDERED THIS 24th DAY OF MARCH ,2020
H.M. DAVVENPORT, Jr.
NAVARRO COUNTY JUDGE
NCHA Social Distancing Recommendations
1) Vulnerable Populations: Limit Outings
• Vulnerable populations include people who are: o 60 years old and older. o People with certain health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease and weakened immune systems.
• For vulnerable populations, don’t go to gatherings unless it is essential. Stay home. Avoid people who are sick.
2) Workplace and Businesses: Minimize Exposure
• Suspend nonessential employee travel.
• Ensure employees practice social distancing and do not work within six feet of one another.
• Urge essential employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits.
• Do not require a doctor’s note for employees who are sick.
• Maximize telecommuting options.
• Persons who need to be at work to provide essential services of great benefit to the community must take steps in their workplace to minimize risk.
3) Cancel Non-essential Events
• Cancel non-essential events.
• Do not attend any events or gatherings if sick.
• For events that aren’t cancelled, we recommend:
o Having hand washing capabilities, hand sanitizers and tissues available. o Frequently cleaning high touch surface areas like counter tops and hand rails. o Finding ways to implement social distancing.
4) Schools: Safety First
• Do not have your child attend school if sick.
• If you have a child with chronic health conditions, consult the child’s doctor about school attendance.
• Schools should equip all classrooms with hand sanitizers and tissues.
• Recommend rescheduling or cancelling events that are not essential.
• Explore remote teaching and online options to continue learning.
• Schools should develop a plan for citywide school closures, and families should prepare for further closures.
5) Transit: Cleaning and Protection
• Increase cleaning of vehicles and high touch surface areas.
• Provide hand washing/hand sanitizers and tissues in stations and on vehicles.
• Ensure social distancing practices are implemented to the full extent possible.
6) Health Care Settings: Avoid as possible, protect the vulnerable
• Long-term care facilities should have a COVID-19 plan in accordance with CDC or state guidelines.
• Long-term care facilities should restrict all visitation except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life situations.
• The general public should avoid going to medical settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, even if you are not ill.
• If you are ill, call your health care provider ahead of time, and you may be able to be served by phone.
• Do not visit emergency rooms unless it is essential.
• Follow guidance and directions of all facilities.
7) Everyone: Do your part. The best way for all Navarro County residents to reduce their risk of getting sick, as with seasonal colds or the flu, still applies to prevent COVID-19:
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Try alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave.
• If you have recently returned from a country, state or region with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials and CDC guidance.
• There is no recommendation to wear masks currently to prevent yourself from getting sick.
You can also prepare for the disruption caused by an outbreak. Preparedness actions include:
• Prepare to work from home if that is possible for your job, and your employer.
• Make sure you have a supply of all essential medications for your family.
• Prepare a child care plan if you or a caregiver are sick.
• Plan about how your family will manage school closures.
• Plan for how you can care for a sick family member without getting sick yourself.
• Take care of each other and check in by phone with friends, family and neighbors that are vulnerable to serious illness or death if they get COVID-19.
• Keep common spaces clean to help maintain a healthy environment for you and others. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly with disinfecting sprays, wipes or common household cleaning products.