LIVE: Stay home, stay safe: Austin mayor issues stay-at-home order through April 13 | KXAN.com

Posted:

Mar 23, 2020 / 03:22 PM CDT /

Updated:

Mar 24, 2020 / 11:59 AM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Steve Adler has issued a stay-at-home order for the city of Austin, effective 11:59 p.m. Tuesday through April 13.

The order says non-essential businesses are to close, and both public and private gatherings of any number outside a single household are prohibited.

The order also restricts travel of any kind to “essential” travel only, like going to work at an essential business or going to the grocery store as examples.

READ the full City of Austin order here

Essential activities are defined in the order involving:

Health and safety
Necessary supplies and services
Outdoor activity
Certain types of work
To take care of others

The health and safety exception simply means if you have to leave your home to get medicine or anything directly involving the health and safety of anyone in your household (pets included), you can.

Necessary supplies and services means you can go to the grocery store for food, get supplies to work from home, household consumer products and “products to maintain the safety, sanitation and operation of a residence.”

You can go outdoors for exercise if you practice social distancing and stay at least six feet apart from everyone.

If your job is deemed essential, you can carry on work-related activities.

You can also leave your home to take care of a family member, or pet, at another residence.

The order is enforceable, it says, by peace officers, code enforcement inspectors and the fire marshal’s office. Violations will result in misdemeanor crimes with fines up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

“I think everyone’s trigger with this virus is recognizing that while it’s going to pass through and lots of people are going to get it, to try and not have everyone get it all at once so the hospital systems are not overtaxed,” Adler said.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said Williamson County will join the city and Travis County in signing the order.

“We have a very short window to really effect COVID-19 expansion through our community,” Eckhardt said. “The longer we wait, the more acute the spike will be. So we need to act fast to decrease the circulation of people in Travis County and surrounding areas.”

Dallas County issued a similar order Tuesday and the city of Waco, city of Lampasas and several counties throughout the state followed suit Monday.

FULL COVERAGE: The latest on the coronavirus

On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott made it clear that it would be up to local officials to enact strict policies about sheltering in place.

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