Alejandra Yañez | THE RIDER
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. on Monday signed an updated 13th Emergency Management Order, which states the county is no longer in a state of high hospitalization.
Treviño received a letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner on Feb. 20, indicating that Trauma Service Area V is no longer an area of high hospitalization, according to a Facebook post from the county judge’s office.
Trauma Service Area V, which includes Willacy, Starr, Hidalgo and Cameron counties, is no longer deemed an area of high hospitalization after reporting seven consecutive days of COVID-19 hospitalization rates of 15% or less.
Due to this, all businesses in Cameron County may now operate at 75% capacity and all bars and similar establishments may offer on-premise service at up to 50% as per Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive orders, effective Monday.
Bars and similar establishments are still required to cease the sale of alcohol by 11 p.m.
This 13th Emergency Management Order, which includes bar reopenings and limitations on gatherings, is valid through March 31 unless modified, extended or terminated early by Treviño.
The order states, “It is a reminder that area hospitalizations and staffing remain at capacity and personal safeguards such as the utilization of facial coverings by residents and visitors age 10 years or older must continue, and contact between people who are not members of the same household must minimize.”
In the case that the circumstances in Cameron County worsen, stricter measures may be ordered as per the Gov. Abbott-32 bill.
The order states that failure to comply with any of Abbott’s executive orders issued during the COVID-19 crisis is an offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000.
In addition to the bar reopenings and gatherings, the order also reinforces the use of masks, frequent hand washing, social distancing, avoidance of face touching and washing and disposing of masks after three uses.
Under GA-32 there are no occupancy limitations on the following:
–religious services
–local government operations
–child-care services
–youth camps
–recreational sports programs for youths and adults
–any public or private schools and any public or private institutions of higher education
The 75% occupancy limitations applies to the following:
–amusement parks
–swimming pools
–water parks
–museums and libraries
–zoos, aquariums, natural caverns and similar facilities
All indoor and outdoor professional, collegiate and similar sporting events, including rodeos and equestrian events, must remain at 50% capacity.
As of this morning, the county confirmed an additional 139 COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of positive cases to 37,041, with 30,905 recovered.
An additional 17 deaths were also reported, raising the total death toll to 1,447.
