The City of Tahoka, Texas, issued a stay-at-home order Thursday following a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days. The order calls for all residents to stay home except for travel for “essential activities” or to obtain “essential goods and services.”
The order from city officials of the Texas Panhandle town located south of Lubbock bans public gatherings, according to a post on Facebook. The order provides travel exceptions for “essential activities” and to acquire “essential goods and services.”
In addition, the order from city officials bans visits to nursing homes, retirement homes, and long-term care facilities except to provide “critical assistance,” officials stated.
The order allows for essential travel to include:
- Visit a doctor or healthcare provider
- Go to the grocery store
- Pick up food from restaurants
- Go to work at an essential business
- Individual outdoor activities while maintaining social distance
- Care for family members
Businesses providing essential services are allowed to remain open but are required to maintain social distancing and other virus protection protocols. Those businesses allowed to remain open include:
- Grocery and convenience stores
- Pharmacy and drug stores
- Daycare facilities
- Health care providers and facilities
- Vehicle fueling, parts, repair, and maintenance
- Essential government services and facilities
- Banks and financial services
- Laundry mats and cleaners
- Trade contractors, i.e. plumbers and electricians
City officials are not requiring travel permits for employees of essential service providers or those traveling for essential purposes as described above.
All restaurants are to remain closed except for drive-through, pickup, or delivery options. Mobile food vendors are also allowed to remain open as long as providers maintain social distancing.
The order from Tahoka city officials comes after a growing number of positive test cases in Lynn County. Five people tested positive in the past two days, according to a report from KCBD NBC11 in Lubbock. Two of the cases are reported to be employees at Lynn County Hospital.
The City requested help from the Texas National Guard for testing. Guardsmen are expected to begin testing members who believe they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus Thursday afternoon. The City also requests anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the virus to self-isolate.
Tahoka officials re-opened the city on May 22 following a stay-at-home order issued in April, according to the City’s Facebook page.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.