IMPORTANT UPDATES
Yesterday,
Governor Abbott outlined additional steps for reopening the Texas economy.
His new orders came as recommendations from the Texas Strike Force.
These recommendations included a phased-in approach to reopening the economy. Phase 1 will begin on Friday, May 1
st
immediately following the expiration of his Stay Home Orders. The Governor outlined the opening of many businesses and emphasized the need for following safety guidelines.
FEDERAL & STATE UPDATES FOR BUSINESS
Don’t forget to do your part. The
2020 Census
must go on! Data from the census will help shape the next 10 years of our lives. How? Census data determines billions of dollars in state and federal funding for schools, hospitals, roads and more. It helps determine how you are represented in our government. It also has an impact on Central Texas businesses, including how businesses may choose to expand. For Census 2020, let’s make it count! For more information
CLICK HERE
.
Governor Abbott’s Phase 1 Reopening Includes:
·
All retail, restaurants, movie theaters and malls – limiting occupancy to no more than 25% occupancy.
·
All museums and libraries (with some restrictions) – limiting occupancy to no more than 25% occupancy.
·
Sole occupancy offices can reopen fully.
·
Churches and other places of worship can remain open and increase capacity following social distancing guidelines.
·
Outdoor sports with no more than four (4) participants at a time can be played. This would include tennis and golf.
·
Licensed healthcare facilities can reopen including doctor’s offices and dental offices.
Phase 1 DOES NOT Include
hair salons and barbershops, spas, massage establishments, bars, gyms and bowling alleys. If COVID-19 cases continue their downward trend, the Governor believes the state will be able to move in to Phase 2 as soon as May 18
th
with additional business openings and expanded capacity. For more information
CLICK HERE
.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY UPDATE
Yesterday, Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) announced
25 new positive COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases
, bringing the total cases to 287 so far throughout the pandemic. So far, 144 of those 287 have made a recovery in Williamson County.
The WCCHD is also reminding people, if you have symptoms of respiratory illness including cough, fever and shortness of breath, please contact your health care provider. It is important to call ahead before arriving at a clinic, urgent care or emergency department to avoid potential spread. For more information,
CLICK HERE
.
LEANDER ISD
Leander ISD is asking students, parents and teachers if they are meeting expectations
during these challenging times. According to UPDATE #23, they want to know! “As we continue to plan based on the Governor’s Executive Order that school buildings will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.” They would like to gather feedback from teachers, parents and students about how things are going with the district’s emergency distance learning. Each group will receive a link to a short survey, but if you missed it – the links are below! The district is asking for the survey to be completed by May 1
st
.
IN CLOSING TODAY
As Texas begins to announce timelines for relaxing stay-at-home and business closure orders to restart the economy and get Texans back to work, the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce continues to play a crucial role in helping you to navigate the many challenges and what still seems to be daily or weekly changes.
The Cedar Park Chamber has been and will continue to advocate on behalf of your business during these times. We want every business in Cedar Park to be able to reopen safely and remain open in a responsible manner. We agree with the phased in approach the Governor is taking. While this helps many of our businesses, we realize the burden continues for others.
If we continue to be vigilant with social distancing, if we continue to listen to healthcare experts and if we continue to adhere to the guidance of state and local officials, many of our remaining businesses will be able to open in a few weeks.
Please do what you can to help everybody accomplish the goal of opening back up. The only thing worse than opening slowly, is opening and then having to close again due to an extreme outbreak that overwhelms our healthcare facilities.
TAKE THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY BUSINESS SURVEY TODAY
Please do not forget to take the
Williamson County Business Survey
. As I mentioned yesterday, this is an extremely important survey that is being used county-wide. It was
a topic of discussion at Commissioner’s Court and is being used by other municipalities
as a tool to understand what is happening in real time with the businesses in the middle of this pandemic.
The partners in this program include the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce, City of Cedar Park, City of Round Rock, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Hutto Chamber of Commerce, Leander Economic Development, Round Rock Chamber, Williamson County and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area.
As always, you can forward this email to anybody you think would find value in it. They can sign up whether they are a member of the Cedar Park Chamber or not. We want everybody to be informed and continue to get updates on what is happening. Be sure to check in on your business neighbor. Stay Safe and Be Kind!
Tony Moline, IOM, PCED
President & CEO
Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce
