Coronavirus: Lake Pflugerville Closed For Social Distancing

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — City officials closed Lake Pflugerville on Monday to ensure physical distancing amid the growing new coronavirus threat.

The lake is closed until further notice, ciy officials noted in a press advisory. Closures include access to the lake, fishing piers, pavilion, restrooms and trails around the lake and park, city officials added.

"This is to help enforce social distancing required by the Travis and Williamson counties’ Stay Home Orders issued last week," officials wrote in a press advisory. "In these orders, residents were told to only leave their homes when necessary, and while the order allows for outdoor activity, Lake Pflugerville has become overcrowded, putting the public in danger."

City officials warned that if overcrowding or disregard for social distancing provisions is seen at other parks, they also will be closed.

The development comes as the Travis County COVID-19 dashboard reports nine cases of the virus in the 78660 zip code alone, city officials noted. "With the presence of COVID-19 in the Pflugerville community, everyone must take additional precautions to stay safe and healthy," officials said.

Related story: 2 Die In Separate Austin Drowning Incidents

In a prepared statement, Pflugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales added: “We are closing Lake Pflugerville to protect our community from COVID-19. Now, more than ever, it takes the entire community working together and committing to stop the spread of this disease. When we face challenges, we overcome together. It is time to change our habits, because together we can fight this disease.”

Facility closures, public health resources and other information about the city’s response to COVID-19 are available at pflugervilletx.gov/virus.

Numerous reports have emerged of residentst taking to area lakes during a period where health officials have advised residents to stay home. Such self-isolation is seen as a method of mitigating the potential spread of further infections — a way of "flattening the curve" in the upward trend of resitory illnesss spread.

On March 27, two people drowned at Lady Bird Lake and Waller Creek amid a period intended to be one of self-isolation to promote physical distancing to avert potential disease spread. Patch reached out to the city after the drownings in Austin to assess whether further action at enforcing physical distancing was in the offing. "All City of Austin PARD (Parks and Recreation Department) pools are closed," officials responded, providing a list of those closures that is accessible by clicking here.

By Monday, city officials expanded park closures in Austin to include remaining recreational areas that had remained open amid the growing threat of respiratory illness.