HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 5215-04-2020 RESOLUTION No. 5215-04-2020
CONTINUATION OF DECLARATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, in December 2019 a novel coronavirus,now designated COVID-19, was detected in
Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, with symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of
breath and with outcomes ranging from mild to severe illness and in some cases,death;
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization Director General declared the
outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC),advising
countries to prepare for the containment,detection, isolation and case management,contact tracing
and prevention of onward spread of the disease;
WHEREAS,on March 5,2020,the World Health Organization Director General urged aggressive
preparedness and activation of emergency plans to aggressively change the trajectory of this
epidemic;
WHEREAS,on March 11,2020,the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide
pandemic;
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring the growing
number of cases that have spread into the United States and the identification of "community
spread"cases of COVID-19 in the United States signals that transmission of the virus is occurring;
WHEREAS, COVID-19 spreads between people who are in close contact with one another
through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes;
WHEREAS, the continued worldwide spread of COVID-19 presents an imminent threat of
widespread illness, which requires emergency action;
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, County Judge Glen Whitley issued a Declaration of Disaster
Due to Public Health Emergency for Tarrant County, Governor Greg Abbott issued a State of
Disaster for all Texas counties, and President Donald Trump declared a State of National
Emergency for the United States of America on March 13, 2020;
WHEREAS,pursuant to the Texas Disaster Act of 1975,the mayor is designated as the emergency
management director of the City of Fort Worth, and may exercise the powers granted to the
governor on an appropriate local scale;
WHEREAS, a declaration of local disaster and public health emergency includes the ability to
reduce the possibility of exposure to disease, control the risk, promote health, compel persons to
undergo additional health measures that prevent or control the spread of disease, including
isolation, surveillance, quarantine, or placement of persons under public health observation,
including the provision of temporary housing or emergency shelters for persons misplaced or
evacuated and request assistance from the governor of state resources;
WHEREAS, Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA 08 and Commissioner John W.
Hellerstedt, M.D. issued a Declaration of Public Health Disaster in the State of Texas on March 19,
2020 to implement statewide measures to address the spread of COVID-19, and Governor Abbott
issued Executive Order GA 14 superseding GA 08 on March 31, 2020; and
WHEREAS, County Judge Glen Whitley issued a Second Amended Declaration of Disaster
Due to Public Health Emergency for Tarrant County for COVID-19 on March 21, 2020 and an
Executive Order on April 3, 2020;
WHEREAS, the Mayor of the City of Fort Worth issued a Declaration of Public Health
Emergency on March 13, 2020, an Amended Declaration of Public Health Emergency on March 16,
2020, a Second Amended Declaration of Public Health Emergency on March 18, 2020, a Third
Amended Declaration of Public Health Emergency on March 19, 2020, a Fourth Amended
Declaration of Public Health Emergency on March 21, 2020, to implement additional measures to
ensure the protection of the general public in the City of Fort Worth and a Fifth Amended Declaration
of Public Health Emergency on March 24, 2020, to implement additional measures to ensure the
protection of the general public in the City of Fort Worth;
WHEREAS, in accordance with section 418.108(b)the declaration by the Mayor can only be
in effect for a period of not more than seven days, unless the same is continued by the City Council
of the City of Fort Worth,Texas;
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the Fort Worth City Council adopted Resolution 5205-
03-2020 to extend the Mayor's Declaration of Public Health Emergency, as amended, through
April 7, 2020;
WHEREAS, on April 7, 2020, the Mayor of the City of Fort Worth issued a Sixth
Declaration of Public Health Emergency to remain consistent with the declaration of the Texas
Department of State Health Services and the executive orders issued by Governor Greg Abbott
and to harmonize to the extent possible,the executive orders of Governor Greg Abbott,the Tarrant
County Judge and the mandates contained in the declarations of the Mayors of the Cities of Fort
Worth, Arlington and other cities; and
WHEREAS, the current situation with COVID-19 leads the City Council to believe that
the mitigation efforts and emergency response must continue past the seven days allowed by law
for the Sixth Declaration.
NOW THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FORT WORTH,TEXAS:
I.
That the declaration of the public health emergency for the City of Fort Worth,as amended,
shall continue in its entirety until April 30, 2020.
II.
That the City's Emergency Operational Plan shall continue to be implemented.
III.
That this resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its issuance.
ADOPTED THIS 7tn day of April, LULU.
Betsy Price
Mayor
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Sarah J. Fulle wider
City Atto
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Mary J. KaysELV
City Secretary 't