Dallas County Commissioners voted today (Tuesday, April 21) to extend the stay-at-home order now in effect through May 15. There are, however, questions over whether the order will stay in place, given Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to begin re-opening certain businesses in Texas at the end of this week.
According to Fox 4 News, the county’s legal counsel the vote to extend the -stay-at-home order doesn;’t conflict with Abbott’s order because it is “beyond the governor’s current order,” which expires April 30.
The May 15 date was a compromise between those who want everything re-opened as soon as possible and public health officials who think May 15 is too soon. Dr. Philip Huang told commissioners it wouldn’t be safe to ease restrictions on public gatherings until at least May 31, and other infectious disease experts want to extend the moratorium on elective surgeries and retail-to-go at least a week behind this Friday, April 24, when Abbott has said some businesses can re-open.
— Tammye Nash
