Leander Issues Physical Distancing Order Amid Coronavirus Spikes

LEANDER, TX — Leander Mayor Troy Hill on Monday issued an order related to physical distancing amid rising rates of the coronavirus, but stopped short of mandating the wearing of masks unless keeping a six-foot buffer from others is not possible.

The move comes amid rising rates of coronavirus across Texas, including Williamson County. Earlier on Monday, Round Rock and Cedar Park both issued ordinances calling for the mandatory use of protective face coverings as the region grapples with the continuing reach of coronavirus. The Leander measure is set to take effect on July 1, according to the order.

"The region's recent spike in positive coronavirus cases is alarming," Hill said in a prepared statement. "Although it hasn't hit our city as hard as others, I want to give Leander businesses an opportunity to protect themselves and their customers. In consultation with neighboring city mayors, we all agree that redoubling this prevention effort is critical to keeping local business alive."

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Hill's new order establishes social distancing requirements in local commercial establishments, as well as posting of related health and safety notices. To that end, customers and employees of a local business shall either keep a distance of at least six feet apart or wear appropriate face coverings, with some exceptions.

Previous coverage:

• Coronavirus: 69 New Cases In Williamson County, 3 More Deaths
• Coronavirus: 1 More Death Reported In Williamson County
• Coronavirus: 80 More Cases In WilCo Bring Count To 1,850
• Cedar Park To Require Masks As Coronavirus Spikes
• Coronavirus: Round Rock Makes Masks Mandatory
• Coronavirus: Texas Illness Count Crosses 148K Mark
• Coronavirus: Travis County Reports 636 New Cases

As part of the order, the City of Leander will provide a sample notice for business operators to help facilitate compliance with the notice requirements.

Disaster declaration
Order on social distancing
Sample notice

The Williamson County and Cities Health District on Monday reported an increase of 81 new cases of coronavirus from the previous day, bringing the historical count to 2,100. Health officials also reported two more patients — a man in his 40s and another in his 70s — became the last victims of the respiratory illness, increasing the overall fatality count to 37.

Those latest deaths follow three more in recent days, including the death of another man in his 40s reported on Sunday and that of a pair of elderly patients on June 26.

According to the county dashboard data, Leander now has 75 active cases of coronavirus. By comparison, Round Rock has 389 open cases — the highest in the county — followed by Georgetown and Cedar Park with 222 and 146 open cases, respectively.