COVID-19 Update

Cass County Judge Becky Wilbanks signed a continuation of her Disaster declaration on Wednesday, which orders Cass County residents to Shelter at Place of Residence. This order will continue through Apr 30, unless otherwise extended or terminated by further order of the County Judge.

“I have been working daily with local public health and emergency management officials to make decisions to best suit the county as a whole,” Judge Wilbanks said. “I believe this Amended Order has become necessary to combat community spread amid the growing number of confirmed cases in, and surrounding, our county.”

“By signing this order, I recognize that it will cause hardships to many in the community, economic and otherwise. I am burdened by this fact however, the health of our community compels me to act today,” Judge Wilbanks said.

“Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus through person to person contact and the need to protect the most vulnerable members of the community, this Order requires all individuals anywhere in Cass County to leave home only to conduct essential functions set out in the Order,” Judge Wilbanks said.

The order mandates all individuals currently living within Cass County, Texas to shelter at their place of residence. It goes on to say residents should maintain a social distance any time they have to leave their residence. It orders all businesses in Cass County, except Essential Businesses, to cease all activities and facilities located within the county except for minimum basic operations. A list of Essential Businesses and minimum basic operations can be found in the judge’s order.

“Even with this order in place, the primary defense to the spread of COVID-19 remains the individual decisions that we each make on a minute by minute basis,” Wilbanks said. “I cannot regulate common sense and cannot ensure good decision making by every citizen in the county at every moment. That is left to each of us individually.”

The order goes on to say all non-essential businesses are ordered to close.

“All Essential Businesses are strongly encouraged to remain open; however, even Essential Businesses are encouraged to determine essential staff necessary to operate and to send non-essential staff home,” according to the order.

“All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited,” the order said. There are some exceptions to this, listed in the document.

The order also urges every person being tested or has tested positive for COVID-19 or is currently a PUI (person under investigation) plus every individual living at the same address to isolate at home until testing shows negative for COVID-19 or the person is released back to work by a medical doctor. These instructions include not going to work, attending school, or any other community function until the COVID-19 Patient or PUI has tested negative or is released by a doctor.

For more information about this release, please contact Cass County Judge Becky Wilbanks’ office at (903) 756-5181.

The Texas Emergency Operations Center is seeking to answer frequently asked questions regarding the COVID-19 public health crisis. The public is invited to send an email to ttfd-oem@txkusa.org Questions will be addressed by local experts and using trusted data.