City Council Issues Disaster Declaration

The City of Lubbock City Council has issued a Disaster Declaration. This Declaration prohibits all indoor and outdoor public and private gatherings of 200 persons or more, anywhere in the City of Lubbock, beginning at 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2020. For all other gatherings, the Declaration strongly recommends citizens adhere to Social Distancing Protocols established by the United states Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including canceling, rescheduling, or not attending events with more than 50 persons.

Per the Disaster Declaration issued today: “A “Mass Gathering” does not include the following:

• Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport;
• Public or private schools;
• Licensed day care facilities;
• Places of worship;
• Weddings and funerals
• Museums (so long as visitors are generally not within arm’s length of one another for extended periods);
• Spaces where 200 or more persons may be in transit or waiting for transit, such as bus stops;
• Office spaces, hotels, or residential buildings;
• Grocery stores, shopping malls, outdoor markets, or other retail establishments where large numbers of people are present but where it is unusual for them to be within arm’s length of one another for extended periods;
• Hospitals, medical facilities, and shelters; and
• Jails and detention centers.”

“High-Risk Populations” include people who are 60 years or older or have serious long-term health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease and weakened immune systems. The definition also covers people who are pregnant or were pregnant in the last two weeks and people experiencing homelessness. Please go to this link provided by the CDC to find resources on how to reduce your risk of getting sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhigh-risk%2Fhigh-risk-complications.html

Finally, the Disaster Declaration issued enhances our resource availability, eligibility for State resources and is a measured, preemptive response. To access the complete Disaster Declaration document, go to www.mylubbock.us/covid19.