"Shelter in Place" Orders Expected in Abilene as City is Slammed with 4 New COVID-19 Cases

ABILENE, TX — The mayor of Abilene is calling for a shelter in place order as Abilene Taylor-County Public Health District received four additional positive test results for COVID-19. Today's announcement raises the total positive test count for Taylor County and Dyess Air Force Base to seven.

The four new positive test results are as follows:

• Female Disability Resources, Inc. (DRI) resident in her 40s. She is currently being cared for at Hendrick Medical Center.
• Female DRI healthcare worker in her 50s. She has been quarantined at home since 3/26/20 following exposure to the first positive case at DRI.
• Female DRI healthcare worker in her 60s. She has been quarantined at home since 3/26/20 following exposure to the first positive case at DRI.
• Female in her 20s (unrelated to DRI cases). She was admitted to Abilene Regional Medical Center on 3/21/20, and discharged to home quarantine on 3/27/20. This case appears to be travel related.

The previous three cases in Abilene announced since March 26 include:

• March 26, 2020 - A Hendrick doctor said the patient, revealed by the City only as a male in his 40s, was suffering from shortness of breath and had low oxygen saturation. https://sanangelolive.com/news/heal…
• March 27, 2020 - A military member has tested positive for COVID-19 at Dyess AFB, Texas. No details of the case were given. https://sanangelolive.com/news/heal…
• March 27, 2020 - The infected individual is a male in his 40s, living at Disability Resources, Inc. (DRI). Abilene Taylor County Public Health District staff traveled to DRI Thursday, March 26, 2020 to test the individual, and received the positive test result Friday, March 27. The infected individual lives in a different house on the DRI campus than the first confirmed positive case, and is currently receiving care under quarantine at DRI.

Because of the number rising to seven, Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams wants the City Council to consider implementing a "Limited Shelter in Place" order on Monday, March 30. The Council meets at 11:15 a.m.

"I am also troubled by a few recent events that could have significantly elevated the risk of COVID-19’s spread and infection; not only for attendees of these events, but also for the many people those individuals would subsequently be in contact with. In light of this, I plan to present before the City Council my desire to create a Limited Shelter in Place (LSIP) order for the next 14 days," Mayor Williams said.

"I have asked City Manager Robert Hanna to provide recommendations for this Limited Shelter in Place order. It will be presented at a special called meeting Monday, March 30, 2020 at 11:15 a.m in Council Chambers at Abilene City Hall," he said.

Mayor Williams did not describe what his concept of a "limited" shelter in place order was. The council awaits City Manager Robert Hanna's recommendations.