The City of Carrollton is restricting the number of people allowed for indoor and outdoor public gatherings and is requiring that in public settings people keep a social distance of six feet at all times (although city officials Sunday acknowledged the latter is not always feasible in a work setting).
Effective immediately, no more than 10 people can gather for events or other social gatherings.
The ordinance would exempt employers and employees gathered at their place of work to work, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, hardware stores and the like, doctors office and other healthcare facilities and anything deemed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as essential, critical, infrastructure workforce.
An ordinance approved by city council would also give the mayor and council the authority to suspend any public or private gathering; and would insist that local eateries not sell food or beverages to be consumed on premises, rather offer carry out options only.
“We have to consider what is best for our citizens… for our community, and to keep people as safe as possible,” Mayor Betty Cason said Sunday. “These are trying times. These are times that nobody knows the answer and we are staying on top of things as much as possible. We are trying our best to get the facts before we make our decisions.”
Cason says the emergency ordinance was considered Sunday following a recent local gathering where a number of participants tested positive for COVID-19.
“I will tell you that there has been one gathering that has been identified where there are 11 confirmed cases that have come out from that gathering,” she said. “That is the main drive we have this morning in passing this resolution.”
When asked the consequences for someone who does not adhere, Cason said the city will do what is necessary.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that but we will do whatever is necessary,” she said. “I have all the faith in our police department in trying to help people understand why this is necessary. We will enforce it but that is not what we want. We want us to come together as a community as we always have and get through this.”
