It’s getting real, y’all.
After initially announcing he would not issue a stay-at-home order regarding the new coronavirus, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough is following other area counties and a stay-at-home order will go into effect at midnight Friday.
The 19-page restrictive order will be in place through April 12.
Additionally, Keough is putting all residents under a curfew beginning each night at 11:59 p.m. through 6 a.m.
“Given the most recent information concerning the virus and the potential for loss of life for our county and our region, I am amending my original order to become the Montgomery County Stay at Home, Stop the Spread order,” Keough said in a statement. “Having surrounded myself with a team of experts, in health district, homeland security and emergency management, law enforcement, our district attorney, and many others, whose council I value, I have made decisions that have been patient and measured.”
Keough said all non-essential business must close at 11:15 p.m. Friday and remain closed through April 12. The order allows for businesses to remain open if employees can work from home.
Keough called his order “crystal clear” with information on what are essential businesses and services and confirming all grocery stores will remain open.
“Read this order,” he said. “We are not urging you; we are telling you; you must comply with CDC social distancing guidelines. Stay home if you don’t need to be out. This is not a time for vacation or social gatherings. Take this virus seriously.”
Keough initially issued a disaster declaration March 12 following the first COVID-19 case in Montgomery County. In the last week, the number of cases in the county increased to 41. The coronavirus, according to the Montgomery County Public Health Department, has spread to all parts of the county.
As recently as Tuesday, the day that Harris County shut down, Montgomery County Judge Keough was holding firm against a stay-at-home order, though he had taken some steps. Keough is a former State Rep who ousted the incumbent county judge in 2018 in the Republican primary with tea party backing. I wonder if anyone has asked Dan Patrick and Paul Bettencourt what they think about this obvious betrayal of their bedrock principles.
I kid, only slightly, but the reality is that Keough is a latecomer on this train:
Then there were 2. With #Montgomery County’s addition 23 of the 25 Most Populous #TX Counties, containing 77% of the #TX Population, have a #StayAtHomeOrder. The 2 Top 25 counties without an Order: #Jefferson & #Smith, & it’s possible Jefferson will adopt one later today. #txlege
— Mark P. Jones (@MarkPJonesTX) 1:16 PM – 27 March 2020
And indeed, Jefferson and Smith and several other counties have joined in. To update:
More than 4/5 of Texans (82%) live in counties that are now under a #StayAtHomeOrder (of varying stringency). The most populous counties (all with more than 100k residents) that do not yet have orders are: #Midland #Guadalupe #Ector #Comal #Taylor #Potter #TomGreen. #txlege
— Mark P. Jones (@MarkPJonesTX) 2:26 PM – 27 March 2020
In case you’re wondering, Ector County is Odessa, Taylor is Abilene, Potter is Amarillo, Tom Green is San Angelo. Guadalupe (Seguin) and Comal (New Braunfels) are neighbors of Bexar County. We’ll see how long they hold out. This also means that Lubbock County has one of these orders as well; that wasn’t clear from the earlier story I blogged about. In some sense, it will soon be irrelevant if Greg Abbott orders a statewide shutdown or not. You still mad, Dan?
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are boat repair shops suppose to be open during the stay at home order?