What Is and Is Not Actually Prohibited in WF Disaster Declaration

The City of Wichita Falls issued a disaster declaration yesterday (03.19.20) requiring several types of businesses to close down or drastically reduce their services. The press release that went out with the declaration spells out exactly what is and is not prohibited at this time.

The declaration prohibits any indoor or outdoor community gatherings of more than ten people at:

Arenas, event venues, music venues, meeting halls and the conference center

Auditoriums

Indoor recreational facilities

Gyms

Health studios

Indoor amusement facilities

Bowling alleys

Pool halls

Theaters (theatres)

Massage parlors

Stadiums

Large cafeterias

Bars, lounges, taverns and private clubs that allow for the on-premise consumption of alcohol

Dine-in restaurants, microbreweries, micro-distileries, and wineries are allowed to remain open, so long as they only provide take-out, delivery or drive-through services.

The declaration goes on to say that a community gathering does not include the following, so long as visitors are generally not within six feet of one another for extended periods:

Spaces where more than ten persons may be in transit or waiting for transit, such as airports, bus stations, or terminals

Office space, public and private schools, child care facilities, residential buildings, or any type of temporary sheltering or housing

Grocery stores, shopping centers or malls, or other retail establishments where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within six feet of one another for extended periods

Hospitals and medical care facilities

In addition, all Wichita Falls Municipal Court hearings have been postponed until April 15, 2020. The Court will continue to function at its full capacity with the exception of public walk-in access.

The City of Wichita Falls and Mayor Stephen Santellana issued the declaration to go into effect at 11:59 p.m., March 20, 2020, saying,

Issuing this declaration provides additional measures to help protect our citizens and provide the necessary resources and funding to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 within our community. This decision was carefully considered as we know this will impact many local businesses and residents. This is a challenging situation for our community, with changes happening daily. With these new measures in place, it is incumbent upon all of us to support our local businesses as much as possible.

If you have any questions you can call the City of Wichita Falls at 940-761-7880.