GREGG COUNTY, Texas — Gregg County-area leaders issued guidelines for residents to voluntarily shelter-at-home for the next two weeks through Tuesday, April 7, due to the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19), during a press conference on Tuesday.
Those who spoke to the media included Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt, Longview Mayor Andy Mack and Dr. Lewis Browne with the Gregg County Health Authority.
The voluntary shelter-in-place order means:
- You may still leave your home for food, medicine and essential work
- Restaurants will remain open with take out or delivery only
- Grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations will remain open
- Religious services will be virtual only
- No elective medical procedures
- All non-essential businesses would close
- No gatherings of more than 10 people
"We are asking you to voluntarily comply with these requests as it is one of the only things we can do to try to give our healthcare professionals a chance to combat this virus," Mayor Mack said. "In the event that we have one more confirmed case in Gregg County, this shelter-in-place will become mandatory and will no longer be voluntary."
According to CBS19's newspaper partners, the Longview News-Journal, on Monday, the Longview City Council agreed to extend a disaster declaration Mayor Mack announced a week ago as COVID-19 continues to spread across the country.
The News-Journal reports 48 coronavirus tests have been issued to Gregg County residents as of Monday. One of those tests resulted in the county's first confirmed case of COVID-19, which was revealed on March 10, a day after the results came back from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Of the 48 tests, 23 came back negative as of Monday. Twenty-three more were pending and one was unknown.
Other East Texas counties with confirmed cases include:
- Bowie County - 1
- Cass County - 1
- Hopkins County - 1
- Morris County - 1
- Rusk County - 2
- Smith County - 14
- Van Zandt County - 1
"With each of us making personal sacrifices for the greater good, we can’t help but be stronger," Mayor Mak said. "I want to encourage all of you to take time each day to pray to God and ask for His help and guidance through this. Ask Him to be with those in need, to be with those healthcare workers who are fighting on the front lines and to pray for your community leaders making these decisions. We need His help more than ever during a time such as this, and I believe if we ask for it, we will receive it."
The City of Longview has also established a coronavirus hotline for residents. The hotline will be staffed from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. seven days a week and will provide information about local resources and response. The number for the hotline is (903) 237-1215.
This is a developing story and CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.