County, City Receive Notification that Threshold for Areas with High COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reach

Hale County and the City of Plainview (along with other cities in Hale County) received notification from the Texas Department of State Health Services that Hale County has reached the threshold for areas with high hospitalizations.

As a result, on Monday, October 26th, all restaurants, retail stores, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, gyms and exercise facilities and classes, museums and libraries in all counties in Trauma Service Area B are required to return to maximum 50 percent occupancy levels.

Also, all licensed hospitals in the Trauma Service Area are required to discontinue elective surgeries as determined in GA-31.

Furthermore, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) will require bars that were opened per GA-32 to close.

For the past seven days, the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Trauma Service Area B as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeded 15 percent.

According to Governor Abbott’s GA-32 Order, an area with high hospitalizations is any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceed 15 percent. Until the Area has seven consecutive days with COVID-19 hospitalized patients at less than 15 percent, businesses listed above must remain at 50% occupancy.

Trauma Service Area B includes Bailey, Borden, Castro, Cochran, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Scurry, Terry and Yoakum counties.

Citizens are strongly encouraged to continue to wash their hands, wear a mask, practice social distancing and stay home when possible, especially if you are experiencing symptoms or have underlying health conditions.

For more information, contact Jack McCasland at the Plainview / Hale County Health Department at (806) 293-1359 or visit the website: www.plainviewtx.org/COVID19.

###

Posted by Latino Lubbock Magazine Digital Media Read the October Issue of Latino Lubbock Magazine online at https://www.latinolubbock.net/magazine-preview Please visit www.latinolubbock.net for a centralized list of COVID-19 resources. For advertising call (806)792-1212