Rockwall County Commissioners Court approved an extension to the Declaration of the Local Disaster for Public Health for Rockwall County.

Order extending the Declaration: Action was taken by County Commissioners to extend indefinitely until future orders.

Rockwallcountytexas.com:
Order of County Judge David Sweet

The order goes into effect March 24, 2020 at 11:59pm and continue through 11:59pm on April 15, 2020 – unless terminated or amended.

In the Emergency Meeting on March 23, Public Health Authority advised the court to enact stricter restrictions. The commissioners and the judge were supportive of the idea. The county’s civil attorney advised proposed restrictions needed more legal review to ensure the actions considered are legally enforceable.

Rockwall D.A. Kenda Culpepper has been in contact with county attorneys around the state. In order for any order to be enforceable there has to be a penalty.

Penalty: Failure to comply is not to exceed $1,000 or not to exceed 180 days in jail.

View Recorded Commissioner Court Meetings

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March 23 | Rockwall Commissioners Emergency Meeting

The County Judge and Commissioners held an emergency meeting on Monday, March 23. Judge David Sweet opened the meeting by stating COVID-19 is the toughest and most concerning situation we’ve encountered.

Rockwall County Health Authority, Dr. Gary A. Bonacquisti, presented a review on information related to the global health crisis. Dr. Bonacquisti explained that COVID-19 is a Novel Virus – meaning none of us have ever had it before, and immunities have not been developed. He stated, COVID-19 is not the flu. It is much more highly transmissible.

Dr. Bonacquisti:

We’re learning that information coming out of China were falsehoods. The numbers of infected are large and Wuhan is again under lockdown.

Texas Health and Baylor are starting to ramp up on rapid testing.

Patients are already at Texas Health Presbyterian and Baylor Scott & White hospitals. The virus is here.

There are currently 180 hospital beds in Rockwall — 60 hospital beds at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital / 120 beds at Baylor Scott & White.

If you do not feel like you are overreacting, you are definitely underreacting.

We’re behind the curve. The world as a whole was too slow to react. It’s hoped we’re not too late in Rockwall County.

We need to stop community spread. When it starts to hit your county you start testing. Singapore tested everyone. We missed this opportunity. When first cases hit Seattle we should have been testing.

The virus is endemic when you have no idea who you received it from. This is why aggressive social isolation is needed. If mitigation fails, our health care system will become overwhelmed and people will die needlessly. We are seeing the outbreak in Italy and Spain. Italy is incubating individuals under 60 years old. There is not enough equipment to incubate elderly patients.

Recommendations:

 – Shelter in place order immediately.
 – Limit trips to grocery stores per family per week.
 – Close non-essential businesses.

Judge David Sweet read: March 20, 2020 Declaration of Disaster

Discussed:

– Essential trips only, and what trips are considered essential.
– Grocery runs.
– Ways to prevent hoarding and limit excursions out of house.
– It was noted that social distancing not being followed in lines outside of stores — Costco was mentioned.

Commissioner Magness stated he is 100% behind Shelter in Place, and the decision should be talked through with legal.

Sharon Lewis / Planet Rockwall
Information / Notes / Excerpts taken from Rockwall Commissioners Court Meetings
Rockwall County, Texas