First Positive COVID19 ID in Orange County
Today, Orange County received confirmation of its 1st positive case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) in an Orange County resident.
This individual is currently quarantined at home and cooperating with the direction of the health department.
Quarantine procedures include persons with COVID-19 staying home for at least 14 days, monitoring their temperature and only leaving home if they need medical care.
For confidentiality purposes, we are not releasing any additional information to identify the individual.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. We understand this positive case may concern our community, but at this time there is no evidence of community spread. The immediate risk for Orange residents remains low. We have worked very hard planning and preparing for this moment. There are steps in place to safeguard the community.
The Health Department is conducting an epidemiological investigation and is working to quickly identify close contacts of the individual. Those may include family, friends, co-workers and other potential contacts.
Orange County Citizens are reminded you should stay home unless you have a need to travel somewhere for essential supplies. Then, you should be maintaining social distancing at ALL time!
At this time, 14 Orange County residents have been tested. 11 of those results are pending and 2 results were negative and 1 result is positive.
For information on COVD-19, check the CDC website or www.Coronavirus.gov . You can also call 2-1-1, Option 6. if you feel you may have symptoms of COVID-19, call our Regional Call Center between 8AM ~ 8PM, 7 days a week, to be screened: (409) 555-2536. It is important that you call first so they can evaluate your risk and determine if they need to see you in person so that other patients are not potentially put at risk.
EMERGENCY ORDER AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VIDOR, TEXAS DUE TO PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
EMERGENCY ORDER AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VIDOR, TEXAS DUE TO PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
In conjunction with the National Emergency Declaration issued by President Donald J. Trump, the state of Emergency for all 254 Counties as declared by Governor Greg Abbott on March 13, 2020, and the Disaster Declaration issued by Orange County Judge John Gothia on March 13, 2020, I, the duly elected Mayor of the City of Vidor, Texas (the "City"), hereby issue the following ORDER REGARDING THE OCCUPANCY OF PREMISES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF VIDOR, ORANGE COUNTY, TEXAS,
By the authority granted me pursuant to Texas Government Code, Chapter 418, a Disaster Declaration has been issued effective March 20, 2020. Addition, pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 418.108(g), I hereby issue the following Orders:
(1) Any gathering sponsored by the City shall cease.
(2) Gatherings of greater than ten (10) people shall cease at all public facilities within the corporate limits of the City.
(3) Regarding privately owned facilities: There shall be no gathering of more than ten (10) persons.
(4) Night clubs, health clubs, gyms, exercise facilities, game rooms, and massage parlors shall be closed.
(5) Restaurants, bars and taverns shall close for dine-in services but may use delivery and take-out options, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
(6) Grocery stores, convenience stores and any supply type store are encouraged to remain open but citizens are urged to use the delivery or curbside services where available or use Social Distancing.;
(7) Nursing homes and senior living centers shall limit visitation of the public within their facilities. This does not include medical therapeutic support and medical personnel. This also does not include food and supply delivery.
For purposes of sections (1 ), (2) and (3) above, a "gathering" refers generally to a scheduled event or common endeavor where ten (10) persons are present in a confined space, room, or area, where safe and suggested social distancing can be met.
It is hereby ORDERED that a twenty-four (24) hours curfew shall be in place immediately throughout Vidor for all individuals who are under the age of eighteen (18) who:
a. Are not in school;
b. Are not accompanied by school personnel, a parent or guardian, or;
c. Are not going directly to their place of employment or going directly home from that place of employment.
This Order does not apply to special needs students during the times local school districts are required by federal law to provide services to those that qualify.
It is further ORDERED that all municipal court appearance days have been extended from the twenty (20) day maximum initial appearance date to forty-five (45) days, other cases will be at the discretion of the municipal court Judge.
WHEREAS, this state of disaster requires that certain emergency measures be taken pursuant to the Texas Disaster Act of 1975 relating to Emergency Management.
It is therefore, ORDERED, that the following regulations shall take effect upon execution of this Order and shall remain in effect until the state of disaster is terminated or this Order may be amended:
A person shall not sell or offer to sell any of the following goods or services for more than the price the person charged for the goods or services before March 12, 2020:
(a) groceries, beverages, toilet articles, ice;
(b) construction and building materials and supplies and earthmoving equipment and machinery;
( c) electrical and gas generating and transmission equipment, parts and accessories;
( d) charcoal briquettes, matches, candles, lamp illumination and heat unit carbides, dry batteries, light bulbs, flashlights and hand lanterns;
(e) hand tools (manual and power), hardware and household supplies, and equipment rental;
(f) automotive parts, supplies and accessories;
(g) plumbing and electrical tools and supplies;
(h) apartment, duplex, multi-family dwelling, rooming house, hotel and motel rental;
(i) gasoline, diesel oil, motor oil, kerosene, grease, and automotive lubricants;
(j) restaurant, cafeteria and boarding house meals;
(k) services of roofing and building contractors, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, tree surgeons and automobile wrecker companies;
(l) medicine, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies;
(m) blankets, quilts, bedspreads, bed liners, mattresses, bedsprings, bedsheets, bedsteads, towels and toilet paper; and
( n ) furniture and clothing.
Price increases on the above-described goods or services are permitted only if such increases accurately reflect an actual, and documented, increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailers average markup percentage applied during the 10 days immediately prior to the declaration of a state of emergency.
PENALTIES
These price control regulations shall have the effect of City ordinances when duly filed with the City Secretary.
Any person who violates any provision of these regulations shall be, upon conviction, subject to a fine of not more than Five Hundred and No/I 00 Dollars ($500.00) per violation.
By this same authority, I hereby exempt the following classes of individuals from this Emergency Order, PROVIDED that these employers are providing appropriate screenings of their employees for COVID-19, as outlined by the Center for Disease Control and sending home those who display such symptoms:
1. Those employees of oil terminals, pipelines and oil supply facilities and servicing contractors that are essential for and who are actively involved in the operations of the facilities, transportation and receiving of oil and chemical supplies, refining and operations petrochemical facilities, in the City and such other employees who are deemed essential to the operation of such facilities by their employer.
2. Those employees of hospitals, trauma centers, nursing homes, convalescent facilities or other healthcare providers who are essential for and who are actively involved in providing medical treatment and/or housing for persons who are ill or infirm and who are not evacuated.
3. Those employees of Federal, State and Local Governments, Political Subdivisions, and Special Purpose Districts who are deemed essential by their employer for law enforcement activities, emergency response operations, including jury operations.
This order does NOT extend to law enforcement activities, emergency response operations, court operations, including jury operations, and to all school districts within the City.
All City employees must report for work as required by their supervisor. All work related travel of City employees shall cease.
This order shall take effect at 11 :59 p.m. tonight, March 20, 2020, and shall remain in effect until amended or terminated.
SIGNED AND ORDERED this 20th day of March, 2020.
Kimberly Stiebig, Mayor