SAN MARCOS (KXAN) — Hays County has issued a stay-at-home order, lasting from Thursday at 11p.m. until April 10 at 4 a.m. The county is also issuing a county-wide curfew from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. each day.
Similar to the orders issued in Travis and Williamson County, Hays County is limiting activities to essential businesses and operations.
Essential businesses include: healthcare providers, utilities, government functions and grocery stores.
Travel should be limited to going to work at an essential business or doing an essential activity like going to the grocery store. The curfew is in effect for everyone from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. unless the person is doing an essential activity or traveling to an essential business. Otherwise, Hays County residents should stay in their homes.
If someone in a household has tested positive for COVID-19, the entire household is ordered to isolate at home.
Initially, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra texted Hays County residents Tuesday night to alert them.
“I will announce a stay in place for Hays County with an 11 p.m. curfew,” Becerra wrote. “We don’t have a choice. More than half of our cases have been confirmed through community spread.”
Hays County has 11 positive COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday night. There are 133 cases in Central Texas.
Becerra told KXAN hours before this decision he did not feel Hays County was at that point yet where a stay-at-home order was needed.
On Tuesday, San Marcos also announced it was closing all river parks. Violators could face trespassing charges. Buda made a similar announcement Tuesday, closing parks and playscapes.
To sign up for COVID-19 alerts through Hays Emergency Management and WarnCentralTexas.org, send the text ‘AlertHays’ (not case sensitive, but one word) to 888-777 on your cell phone. You should receive an automatic reply similar to this:
