Dallas city leaders extend COVID-19 disaster declaration through April 29

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has extended the city’s disaster declaration through April 29.

The declaration already bans large gatherings of people within the city limits. Restaurants are limited to just takeout or to-go pickup and bars, gyms and theaters are shut down to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

RELATED: Coronavirus coverage

And in addition, Dallas announced it is closing all playgrounds, golf courses and tennis centers run by the city’s parks and recreation department. Park trails are still open but the city is asking people who use the trails to practice social distancing.

"Life will move on in this great city. Tough times are temporarily ahead, and you will see pain — there is no doubt about that," Johnson said. "But amid all the uncertainty, you could also see and experience the joy and beauty of humanity. Without a definitive timeline, that is the answer to enduring the temporary difficulties before us."

Johnson says the declaration could be expanded past April 29.

The council heard from many voices on Wednesday, but none were louder than Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Micheal Hinojosa, who is tasked with educating and feeding students in a large, urban school district, and Dr. Philip Huang, the county's health director, who is charged with tracking and fighting the outbreak.

As of Wednesday, there are 39 total cases in Dallas County, including a woman in her 20’s and a man and woman in their 30’s.

“That’s a reminder that although most are in their 60’s or with chronic conditions, there are also severe illness that can occur in younger persons, this is something for everyone,” Dr. Huang said. “Again, I think a reminder that younger persons shouldn’t just say, ‘Oh, it’s not going to affect me, so I’m not going to worry about this.’”

Two mass public health testing sites should be up by the end of the week.

A parking garage at the American Airlines Center and the Ellis Field House at I-20 and Polk Street - not the old Verizon Theater in Grand Prairie as first planned    

“We know the results and the data we have today are probably five to ten days behind, so we know as more testing gets out there, there will be more numbers coming up,” Dr. Huang said. “And we’ve been saying that from the start. We've been saying that for weeks, and for everyone. We've been preparing for whatever level of response may be necessary.”

Other city leaders briefed the council on their COVID-19 response and preparations.

The head of Dallas Area Rapid Transit said ridership was down 50% on Monday. If the trend continues and if drivers are impacted, routes could be modified.

DFW Airport’s CEO said carriers are normally 85% full at this time of year. They are now only 35% full.

Dr. Hinojosa told the council he was heartbroken to learn one of his students has COVID-19.

“We're heartbroken that we've had a student identified with the virus. It’s ironic that we've had no employees yet, that we've been notified, that has the virus. We're working with that individual's family and that school and we're working with them, with the county,” he said. “That was a body blow when you hear a student had it. You know things keep evolving. We kept hearing that it was usually just elderly people that were the most at risk. Students bounce back quickly but to hear that was very difficult.”

Hinojosa said parents whose children attend Long Middle School have already been notified that a student there tested positive for the virus. The campus was cleaned immediately.

He does not expect to reopen Dallas ISD schools anytime soon.

“Since we have a student we are going to be overly cautious for a while until we get some direction about how safe it is for them to go back to school. So it's going to be a while,” he said.

He also said the district plans to feed every student, even those who don’t qualify for free and reduced meals.

“On Mondays and Thursdays, every week, we will have all of our secondary schools open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where students can go and collect food for three days and they can also collect their lessons, especially the ones that are on the low-tech solutions,” Hinojosa explained.

The mayor told the superintendent the city may help with the district’s greatest challenge: Connecting 155,000 students to the internet for online learning.

Hinojosa said as many as 40% of students in the district do not have access to the internet for online learning.

“There are solutions with hot spots and we have a number of hot spots. We are going to be asking for others to be donated if people want to help that would be a great solution,” Hinojosa said. “We are looking at creative solutions about putting hot spots on buses and putting them strategically out in the community where so at least our students can download the information and have access to work.”

He expects to have more answers for graduating seniors in the next two weeks.

Coronavirus health tips

While COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus, daily precautions recommended to prevent respiratory illnesses are the same:

•  Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when you can't wash your hands.

•  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

•  Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, use the elbow of your sleeve. Don’t use your hands to cover coughs and sneezes.

RELATED: Coronavirus FAQ: Here’s what you need to know about the COVID-19 outbreak

•  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

•  Stay home when you are sick and keep children home when they are sick.

•  Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

•  Get a flu shot. (Although the flu shot does not protect against COVID-19, it is flu season.)

RELATED LINKS:

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Dallas ISD middle school student tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus

Fort Worth to close dine-in restaurants and bars within 24 hours to slow coronavirus spread

Plano closes restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters through April

Customers, owners adjust to new Dallas County rules banning dine-in restaurant service