Mayor declares disaster: City offices prep to close to public

Mar. 20--Late Thursday afternoon, March 19, the city of Gainesville announced its own disaster declaration in light of the new coronavirus.

"To insure our community is collaborating with national, state and county actions, we are issuing today's declaration," Mayor Jim Goldsworthy is quoted as saying in a news release from the city. "We encourage everyone to please abide by the remediation steps that have been prescribed."

The public health emergency declaration allows the city to facilitate and expedite the procurement, use and deployment of resources to enhance preparedness and response, as well as receive reimbursements to cover the city's cost of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release states.

Gainesville Disaster Declaration COVID-19 3-19-2020

City Manager Barry Sullivan said the city began initiating its local coronavirus mitigation strategies last week when it stopped animal encounters at Frank Buck Zoo. The zoo is now closed to the public.

The city follows recommendations and orders from state and federal levels, city officials said.

During a city council meeting at the Municipal Building, 200 S. Rusk St., on Tuesday, March 17, Sullivan announced the city was restricting gatherings of more than 10 people at city-owned facilities. There are exceptions for governmental functions, he said.

At the meeting, chairs were spaced out to help attendees practice social distancing. Sullivan said video conferencing is in the works for when city council meets again. Additional details on the video meetings were not available as of press time.

Sullivan said the city is in the process of not allowing customers to come in to the Municipal Building to pay their water bills in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Tips to stay healthy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking everyday preventive actions to help reduce the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Stay home when you are sick, except to seek medical care

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and help young children to do the same; if soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; if you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands

Source: City of Gainesville

As of noon Thursday, the city began waiving its 3.5% credit card fee when residents pay their utilities online. He said the city is encouraging everyone to pay online, use the drive-thru, put payments in the night drop or pay through the bank. If the fee still shows when paying online, be patient, Sullivan said, and the city will issue credit on a future bill.

"We're trying to do everything we can to protect the public so they can social distance themselves," Sullivan said.

COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. It first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China. As of press time Thursday, there were 13,159 reported cases of COVID-19 nationwide and 176 reported deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. In Texas, there were 260 reported cases of the new coronavirus as of press time and five deaths, according to the university. There were no reported cases in Cooke County as of press time.

The news release Thursday says that city officials encourage residents to follow the governor's executive order that mirrors the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for social distancing by avoiding social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people and postponing visits to bars, dine-in restaurants, food courts, gyms and massage parlors.

Follow the Gainesville Daily Register online for updates throughout the day as the situation surrounding the new coronavirus is developing.

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