Roll-back of services begins in North Texas

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services website, the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity in the Trauma Service Area E (which includes Denton County) has exceeded 15 percent for seven consecutive days.

Denton County has not yet received official notification from the Texas Department of State Health Services. As a result, according to Governor Abbott’s Executive Orders GA-31 and GA-32, the following are now in effect:

• Any business establishment that currently has a 75 percent occupancy or operating limit may operate at up to only 50 percent. However, this does not affect entities listed under Paragraph 1 of GA-32 such as churches, local government operations, childcare services or public or private schools.
• Per GA-32, people shall not visit bars or similar establishments. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) will determine the extent of operation.
• The visiting of nursing homes, state supported living centers, assisted living facilities, or long-term care facilities is determined through guidance from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). 
• Elective surgeries and procedures are addressed in GA-31, which states every hospital that is licensed under Chapter 241 of Texas Health and Safety Code shall postpone if located in an area with high hospitalizations, provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to any surgery or procedure that, if performed in accordance with the commonly accepted standard of clinical practice, would not deplete any hospital capacity needed to cope with the COVLD-19 disaster.

The orders remain in place until such a time as Trauma Service Area E has seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity is 15 percent or less.

Additional information can be found at the Texas Department of State Health Services website at txdshs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/0d8bdf9be927459d9cb11b9eaef6101f

You can find the applicable executive orders here:

GA-31

dentoncounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3229/Governor-Executive-Order-GA-31-hospital-capacity-COVID-19-PDF

GA-32

dentoncounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3656/Executive-Order-No-GA-32-Relating-to-the-Continued-Response-to-the-COVID-19-Disaster-as-Texas-Reopens

For the list of Trauma Service Areas and counties within each, visit: dshs.texas.gov/emstraumasystems/TSA_CountyList2010_RAC.pdf