DALLAS, Texas — Hours before Dallas County entered a state of shelter-in-place, health and government officials for the county said the move is needed to give hospitals and healthcare workers a fighting chance against COVID-19.
"Right now we are waging a battle with sticks, and we need swords," Dr. Mark Casanova, President of the Dallas County Medical Society, said.
On Sunday, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced the city would shelter in place until at least April 3.
This means residents will be forced to stay home unless they are grocery shopping, traveling to another residence in or outside the county, working for a business that is considered essential, exercising outside, picking up supplies to work from home, getting medicine, or caring for a pet or someone within your family.
Jenkins said Monday that if someone lives in Dallas County and works in a different county that is not sheltering-in-place, the rules still apply.
Anyone in violation can face up to a $1,000 fine.
You can read about other exceptions here.
A jaw-dropping moment came from Jenkins as he spoke to reporters, adding that the order will likely be extended past its April 3 expiration date.
"The estimate from the medical community is not two weeks, it's months, unfortunately. I hope that turns out to be wrong," Jenkins said.
Jenkins also said that for the order to be lifted, he would have to rely on data and input from the medical community in Dallas.
Dr. Casanova also addressed the media, saying that the order has to happen to relieve exhaustion from hospitals.
He said that if nothing was done, hospitals would run out of protective equipment by mid-April.
"Our public officials, by making their difficult decisions, they are providing us the armor and the shield we need," Casanova said.
Dr. Philip Huang, Director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, also provided new data to support the county's decision.
Huang and his department theorized that if 40% of the county's 2,586,552 residents were infected (1,034,621) and 7.3% were hospitalized, there would be a shortage of 71,189 hospital beds.
The county currently only has 4,338 available beds.
With the order in place, Huang theorizes that there would be an excess of 562 beds with 40% infected and 7.3% needing hospitalization.
Jenkins added that the county is looking at empty spaces and unused hospitals to possibly house COVID-19 patients.
Nothing, however, has been set in stone.
"I hate to say that I want people to keep an eye on one another but we all need to do our part to save lives here," Jenkins said.
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