During a news conference at the Capitol on Thursday, March 19, Governor Greg Abbott announced an Executive Order that includes:

• Every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings larger than 10
• People shall avoid restaurants, gyms, bars; no dining in; gyms will be closed; drive-thru, carryout, and delivery are highly encouraged
• People shall not visit nursing homes or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance
• All schools in the state shall be temporarily closed

The executive order is effective midnight Friday, March 20, through midnight April 3, 2020. Abbott made clear that this executive order is NOT a shelter-in-place order.

UPDATED APRIL 2, 2020
Governor Abbott has enacted an updated Executive Order (PDF) that is effective through Thursday, April 30, 2020. 

The public is urged to stay at home, to minimize non-essential gatherings with people who are not in the same household, to avoid eating or drinking at bars and restaurants, and to limit in-person contact — except for in the pursuit of essential services including healthcare, groceries, banking, utilities, child care (for essential service employees), and government services.

Statewide Restrictions Effective through April 30, 2020

Governor Greg Abbott’s current executive order (PDF) includes:

• Minimize social gatherings and minimize contact with people who are not in the same household
• Every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings larger than 10
• No dining in; drive-thru, carryout, and delivery are allowed
• Gyms, bars, restaurants, food courts, massage establishments, tattoo studios, piercing studios, and cosmetology salons closed
• No visiting nursing homes, state-supported living centers, assisted living facilities, or long-term care facilities except to provide critical assistance
• Schools closed to in-person classroom attendance before May 4, 2020
• People are not prohibited from accessing essential services or engaging in essential activities such as going to the grocery store or gas station; hunting or fishing; attending religious services conducted in churches, congregations, and houses of worship; or engaging in physical activity like jogging or bicycling, so long as the necessary precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and to minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household
• All critical infrastructure will remain operational and government entities and businesses will continue providing essential services

View all local COVID-19 information at www.cityofkennedale.com/covid19.