The Fort Worth City Council extended the emergency declaration that was signed by Mayor Betsy Price on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, to implement stay home, work safe restrictions to help combat the spread and impact of COVID-19 on the City of Fort Worth.
This action extends the declaration through April 7, 2020.
- Individuals are to stay at home. However, individuals may leave their residences for essential travel, essential activities, or to provide or perform essential governmental functions, or to operate essential businesses. This includes traveling to work at an essential business, traveling for the health of yourself or another person, leaving to get food and supplies, or getting outside to exercise.
- To the extent individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces, they must maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from any other person. This does not require a household or living unit to social distance when at home.
- Essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and other establishments that sell household goods will remain open but must enforce social distancing. A list of essential and non-essential businesses is below. (For specific information about businesses, call 817-392-8478 or email Covid19@FortWorthTexas.gov.
- In-house dining at restaurants is prohibited. Restaurants with or without drive-in or drive-through services; drive-in restaurants; drive-through restaurants; liquor stores; and microbreweries, micro-distilleries, or wineries may only provide take out, delivery, or drive-in or drive-through services, as allowed by law.
- All businesses operating within the City of Fort Worth, except essential businesses, are required to close to the public.
- Businesses that are closed to the public may continue operations consisting exclusively of the following, as long as social distancing of at least 6 feet is maintained between all employees and contractors during the activities:
- Performing activities at their own residences (i.e. working from home);
- Operations necessary to process payroll, maintain security, upkeep, and maintenance of premises, equipment or inventory, including but not limited to the care and maintenance of livestock or animals;
- IT or other operations that facilitate employees working from home;
- Facilitate online or call-in sales performed by employees in a store or facility closed to the public;
- In-store repair services performed by employees in a store or facility closed to the public.
- All public or private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit are prohibited. This declaration does not prohibit the gathering of members of a household or living unit.
- All elective medical procedures are prohibited.
- If someone in a household has tested positive for COVID-19, the household is ordered to isolate at home.
- Nursing homes, retirement, and long-term care facilities are to prohibit non-essential visitors from accessing their facilities unless to provide critical assistance or for end-of-life visitation.
- All in-person worship services remain prohibited, with the exception of worship support staff to facilitate online services.
Additionally, temperature screenings at public-facing city facilities began Wednesday, March 18. Those entering city facilities during normal business hours will have their temperature checked using a forehead thermometer, and people with a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be asked to leave and to contact their healthcare provider. This includes city employees.
View the facility handout
