Coronavirus in Texas: Gov. Abbott orders closings of bars, restaurants and schools

AUSTIN — In a broad reach of government power not seen in modern memory, Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday ordered all Texas bars and restaurants closed to sit-down customers, shuttered schools statewide and restricted public gatherings to no more than 10 people.

Abbott said those actions and others, announced at a sometimes-chilling news conference in his office at the Capitol, could be Texas' only hope of choking the spread of coronavirus that has now infected at least 143 people in the state, which is double the number of all reported cases on Tuesday.

"Working together, we must defeat COVD-19 with the only tools we have available to us. We must strangle this expansion by reducing the ways we are currently transmitting it," said Abbott, who was joined by  Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services and others.

Abbott said his actions, which take effect midnight Friday and last at least until April 3, are far short of a statewide lockdown. Restaurants may still provide drive-up and delivery service – and alcohol can be part of food orders – and grocery stores, pharmacies and other outlets may remain open.

"The state of Texas is at a pivotal moment in our response to COVID-19, and it is imperative that we act now on preemptive measures to slow the spread of this virus," Abbott said.

Included in the forced closings are public gyms. Visitation to nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be prohibited except in extreme situations.

Precedents for such actions are hard to find, said H.W. Brands, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Not since World War II has government exercised such sweeping powers over American businesses and the actions of American individuals," Brands said. "At that time it was in the name of national security. Now it is in the name of public health."

And the risk to public health is dire, said Hellerstedt, who on Thursday issued an official Public Health Disaster Declaration for Texas. 

"COVID-19 (the illness caused by the virus) is the greatest public health challenge in living memory," he said. "COVID-19 is and will be lived out in Texas. It is moving quickly. We must change the course of COVID-19 before it impacts our state with maximum effect."

Hellerstedt's health disaster declaration comes less than a week after Abbott declared a statewide emergency, which gave him the power to take sweeping actions without legislative oversight to protect Texans.

Wendy Parmet, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston and an expert on public health law, said Abbott's actions are in line with measures several other governors nationwide as caseloads and deaths from coronavirus continue to spiral.

Governors began invoking those powers in more limited but dangerous outbreaks of swine flu and ebola in recent years, she said. Decades and even centuries earlier, she added, public health threats like infectious disease outbreaks were generally handled by local authorities because mass communication was limited and long travel was arduous.

"I think this is pretty extraordinary," said Parmet, whose own state and neighboring states have already imposed forced closures and restricted large gatherings. "I think Texas is about three days behind where we are."

Brands said that during World War II, the federal government was making the broad emergency decisions. In the present emergency, the states are on the front lines, he said.

"At that time, individuals and businesses were willing to go along with government mandates," Brands said of the war years. "To question them was considered unpatriotic.

"So far in this crisis people are willing to go along too. The question is whether they will continue to do so."

Emily Knight, president of the Texas Restaurant Association, praised Abbott's leadership but did not minimize the financial calamity the action will have.

"The decision today, to suspend dine-in service across Texas, will have a catastrophic impact to an industry already reeling from mass reductions in customer visits," Knight said.

The thin silver lining, she added, was that drive-thru and takeout orders may continue for the industry that employees about 1.4 million statewide

"We need deferred taxes, emergency bridge loans, and access to emergency unemployment insurance," Knight said. "Difficult decisions today will help to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the restaurant industry is deeply committed to achieving this outcome."

Hellerstedt said Texans have no other choice if coronavirus is to be tamed. He called it "our duty."

"We must all endure the sacrifices we know are necessary and effective, and protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities," he said. "The time to act is now.  If we delay, we will not only pay a higher price than is necessary, but we'll rue the day that we, all of Texas, did not choose to act decisively."

Abbott's orders:

• Order No. 1: In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.
• Order No. 2: In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, people shall avoid eating or drinking at bars, restaurants, and food courts, or visiting gyms or massage parlors; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options is allowed and highly encouraged throughout the limited duration of this executive order.
• Order No. 3: In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, people shall not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance.
• Order No. 4: In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, schools shall temporarily close.

Coronavirus map:Track COVID-19 cases in Texas, US and beyond

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.