Round Rock To Require Masks As Coronavirus Spikes

ROUND ROCK, TX — The Round Rock City Council on Monday unanimously approved an ordinance requiring residents to wear protective face coverings when outdoors to help blunt spread of the coronavirus.

The ordinance requires masks for residents 10 years and older in public places when physical distancing is not possible, officials said in a municipal advisory. The requirement comes amid soaring rates statewide of the contagious illness for which there is no vaccine.

The Emergency Ordinance also calls for businessed to display a notice of the requirement.

View the ordinance here

"It’s important that we take immediate action to slow the dramatic increase of COVID-19 cases in our area," Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said in a prepared statement. "While we are beginning to see more residents following health officials’ recommendations to wear masks, the goal of this emergency ordinance is to ensure everyone is doing their part to keep our businesses open and our community moving in the right direction."

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Jeremy Barclay, chief executive officer of St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, echoed the sentiment: "As the number of COVID-19 cases in Williamson County continues to climb, it's critical that businesses and rsidents adhere to guidelines put in place by local health auhorities in order to slow the spread of the virus."

Barclay spoke of the importance of wearing facial coverings, which health officials have identified as the most effective tactic in mitigating the spread of an illness for which there is no vaccine: "Wearing a mask when you are with people who aren't part of your household, practicing good hand hygiene and maintaining a safe social distance from others have proven effective in preventing illness. This is particularly important when inside enclosed spaces, such as businesses."

The emergency ordinance is scheduled to take effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, and will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 28 unless extended or amended. A first time violation of the ordinance will result in a verbal or written warning, according to the language of the ordinance. Subsequent violations will be punishable by minimum fines of $200 and escalating thereafter up to $1,000, per the ordinance.

There are exemptions to the ordinance, including:

• When exercising or engaging in physical activity;
• when in a building or participating in an activity requiring security surveillance or screening, such as banks;
• while consuming food or drink;
• when wearing a mask would pose a greater mental or physical health, safetyvor security risk;
• when outside with a group comprised only of members from the same household;
• when other mitigation devices (such as plexiglass) provides adequate physical distancing safeguards.

The requirement comes amid soaring rates of respiratory illness across Texas — spikes from which Round Rock has not been immune. On Sunday, Texas Department of State Health Services officials reported a growth of 5,352 new illness cases in 24 hours, raising the historical illness count to 148,723. Another 27 patients statewide died of the respiratory illness in the same 24-hour period, bringing the fatality count so far to 2,393.

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• Coronavirus: Texas Illness Count Crosses 148K Mark
  
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Williamson County also has seen rising illness rates. Williamson County and Cities Health District officials on Sunday reported 169 new cases of coronavirus, raising the historical total to 2019. The number of current active cases of the respiratory illness outstrip the 835 recoveries reported on Sunday by 280, according to the data found on a statistical dashboard.

A man in his 40s became the latest victim to succumb to respiratory illness on Sunday, officials reported. The previous Friday, health officials reported three more deaths of elderly county residents, later subtracting one from the count after ultimately not able to be positively identified as a coronavirus-related fatality.

As shown on the county health district's dashboard, Round Rock is the city in Williamson County with the greatest concentration of illness. The data show 389 active illness cases in Round Rock, with Georgetown at a distant second place with 222 open cases. The dashboard shows also shows Cedar Park with 146 open cases and Leander with 75.