COVID-19 Disaster Declaration 3/19/2020

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DECLARATION ORDER OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS DATE ORDER ISSUED: March 19, 2020 Summary: The virus that causes 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is easily transmitted through person to person contact, especially in group settings, and it is essential that the spread of the virus be slowed to protect the ability of public and private health care providers to handle the influx of new patients and safeguard public health and safety. Because of the risk of the rapid spread of the virus, and the need to protect the most vulnerable members of the community, this Order prohibits community gatherings, of 10 persons or more anywhere in the City of Paris, Texas beginning at 5:30 p.m. on March 19, 2020, and continuing seven ( 7 ) days as defined by Section 3 herein. For all other gatherings, the City Council of the City of Paris, Texas, in cooperation with the Office of the Lamar County Judge and the Health District strongly recommend following the social distancing protocols attached to this Order, including canceling, rescheduling, or not attending events with more than 10 persons. Additionally, the Mayor and the Office of the Lamar County Judge and the Paris- Lamar County Health Department strongly urges high-risk individuals, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to cancel, reschedule, or not attend events that will have or will likely have 10 or more people. UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 108, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PARIS ORDERS: 1. Effective as of 6:00 p.. on Thursday, March 19, 2020, and continuing seven (7) days, public or private community gatherings (as defined in Section 3 below) are prohibited anywhere in the City of Paris, Texas. 2. As advised bythe Office of the Lamar County Judge and the Paris -Lamar County Health Department ("Health Authority") The City Council strongly recommends canceling, rescheduling, or not attending events with more than 10 persons. The City Council along with the Office of the Lamar County Judge and the Paris -Lamar County Health Department strongly urges organizations that serve high-risk populations to cancel gatherings of more than 10 people. These recommendations are based on the social distancing practices attached to this Order as well as the "Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities with Local COVID-19 Transmission" issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"). The Mayor of the City of Paris, Texas and the Office of the Lamar County Judge and the Paris -Lamar County Health Department urges people to not attend non-essential gatherings during the duration of this Order in order to help slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus. 3. Definitions a. For purposes of clarity, a "Community Gathering" does not include the following so long as visitors are generally not within arm's length of one another for extended periods: . i. (i) spaces where 10 or more persons may be in transit or