[00:00:01] GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. [Commissioners Court - Emergency] MY NAME IS BARBARA CANALES, I'M NUECES COUNTY JUDGE. AND BEFORE I START TODAY, IT'S BEEN TOLD TO ME THAT THERE IS A FOUR O'CLOCK PRAYER THAT IS TAKING PLACE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND THROUGH INTERFAITH LOCATIONS OF WORSHIP ALL OVER OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I WANT TO HONOR THAT AS THEY SET THIS TIME UP TO PRAY FOR NUECES COUNTY. AND I WOULD JUST ASK FOR A FEW SECONDS OF SILENCE AS WE REFLECT UPON CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5 VERSE 7. FOR WE LIVE BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT. AND TODAY'S DAILY BREAD WAS EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6:18, PRAY IN THE SPIRIT ON ALL OCCASIONS WITH ALL KINDS OF PRAYERS AND REQUEST. AND I WOULD ASK THAT IN THIS MOMENT OF SILENCE THAT ALL YOUR PRAYERS AND ALL YOUR REQUESTS ARE HEARD BY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. SO GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN NUECES COUNTY WITH REGARDS TO THE CORONAVIRUS. BUT BEFORE I MAKE THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, PARTICULARLY THE MEDIA, FOR ATTENDING TODAY AND HELPING US TO CARRY THIS MESSAGE TO ALL OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, TO OUR CITY PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, REPRESENTED BY MAYOR JOE MCCOMB, OUR CHURCHES, OUR CHARITIES, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. JOINING ME HERE TODAY IS CEO CHRIS [INAUDIBLE], CEO DR. OSBERT BLOW. AND TO YOU ALL THE RESIDENTS OF NUECES COUNTY. WE ARE FACING THIS CHALLENGE TOGETHER AS A TEAM, AND I'M PROUD TO BE YOUR COUNTY JUDGE. BUT THIS TEAMWORK WILL BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THE COMING WEEKS. THE MEASURES WE HAVE TAKEN TO THIS POINT HAVE HELPED SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS. THEY HAVE MADE US AWARE OF NEW PRACTICES LIKE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND NEW PHRASES LIKE FLATTENING THE CURVE. AND WE HAVE DONE ALL OF THIS TO GET TO THIS POINT AND ALL OF THESE ITEMS HAVE PREPARED US FOR THIS DAY. AND TODAY, ACTING IN MY CAPACITY AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF NUECES COUNTY WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY. TODAY I AM ISSUING A STAY AT HOME ORDER FOR NUECES COUNTY. THIS MEANS I AM DIRECTING OUR COMMUNITY TO STAY HOME TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHY I'M ISSUING THIS ORDER. WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP. FIRST, WHY AM I ISSUING THIS ORDER, AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 VIRUS, ALSO KNOWN AS CORONAVIRUS. THE CORONAVIRUS IS CONTAGIOUS. IT'S A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND IT'S SPREAD BY CONTACT. WHEN WE REDUCE CONTACT, WE SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE. WE KNOW THIS. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE TODAY WITH THIS ORDER, RESTRICT ACTIVITY TO REDUCE CONTACT. NOW, FOR SOME TIME, WE HAVE HAD ORDERS IN PLACE, JOINT ORDERS, CITY AND COUNTY, WHICH HAVE REDUCED THE SIZE OF GATHERING'S. GOVERNOR'S ORDERS, WHICH HAVE CLOSED RESTAURANTS AND DINING ROOMS AND LIMITED TO TAKEOUT AND DRIVE THROUGH. AND WE HAVE ENCOURAGED STAYING AT HOME. WE'VE SAID FROM DAY ONE, STAY HOME IF YOU CAN STAY HEALTHY AND STAY SAFE. AND WE DID ALL OF THESE MEASURES TO STAY AHEAD OF EVENTS. STAYING AT HOME SLOWS THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE SO THAT THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM DOES NOT GET OVERWHELMED. STAYING AT HOME REDUCES RISK FOR THOSE WHO MUST WORK SO THEY CAN STAY HEALTHY. EVERY URBAN COUNTY IN TEXAS, I BELIEVE, AS OF 4:10 RIGHT NOW HAS ISSUED THESE TYPES OF ORDERS. FOR NUECES COUNTY, I CONCLUDED THAT IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF, WHEN OR IF WE WOULD ISSUE THESE STAY AT HOME ORDERS, BUT WHEN AND HOW. AND HOW COULD I VET THESE ORDERS PROPERLY SO THAT WE COULD BE PERFECT FOR THE JURISDICTION THAT IS UNIQUELY OURS IN NUECES COUNTY. SINCE THIS SITUATION BEGAN, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MANY COUNTERPARTS, AND I'M THRILLED TODAY TO HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT IS PART OF OUR SOUTH TEXAS COALITION WITH COUNTY JUDGE RUDY MADRID FROM KLEBERG COUNTY. BUT I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MANY COUNTERPARTS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND WHAT WORKS. SO I COULD ALSO PLAN TO ADDRESS A FAST MOVING CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. ON SATURDAY, WE ANNOUNCED HERE IN CORPUS CHRISTI OUR FIRST POSITIVE TEST FOR CORONAVIRUS IN NUECES COUNTY. AND AS I SAID, WE KNEW THAT DAY WOULD COME AND WE WERE READY. [00:05:05] I'VE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY. OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, MAYOR MCCOMB, THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI STAFF AND ALL THE CITY MAYORS IN NUECES COUNTY'S JURISDICTION. IN ADDITION, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND THEY HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC. AND OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO CRAFT THE STAY AT HOME ORDERS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR LOCAL NEEDS AND CONDITIONS. AND WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THESE ORDERS ARE AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE AROUND OUR COUNTY. THE TIME HAS COME FOR THESE VOLUNTARY MEASURES TO BECOME MANDATORY. NOW, THIS BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND PART, WHICH IS WHAT DO THESE ORDERS MEAN FOR ALL OF YOU LISTENING AT HOME? I'VE SIGNED AN ORDER OR I'M ABOUT TO SIGN IT OFFICIALLY IN FRONT OF YOU TO STAY AT HOME AND WORK SAFE. IT IS MANDATORY TO STAY AT HOME AS THEY ARE ORDERS FROM MYSELF, THE NUECES COUNTY JUDGE AND IT'S NOT MERELY A SUGGESTION ANYMORE, IT'S A LAWFUL ORDER. IT'S A LAW THAT REQUIRES US TO STAY AT HOME TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE. BUT LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT A TRAVEL RESTRICTION FOR OUR BORDERS. IT IS NOT A LOCKDOWN. AND IT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LIVE YOUR DAILY LIFE. BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THAT YOU STAY AT HOME. THIS IS WHAT THIS ORDER DIRECTS US TO DO. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WAS THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE ACTUAL TERMINOLOGY. STAY AT HOME, BECAUSE HERE IN NUECES COUNTY WE RESERVE THE TERM SHELTER IN PLACE FOR THOSE VERY UNIQUE TIMES WHEN WE WANT YOU TO GET INSIDE WHEREVER YOU ARE AND TAKE COVER UNTIL ALL CLEAR IS SOUNDED. WE USE THIS TERMINOLOGY FOR HURRICANES WHEN THEY ARE COMING ASHORE AND IN THE EVENT OF A CHEMICAL EMERGENCY AND I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND NOW AND IN THE FUTURE THAT SHELTER IN PLACE MEANS TAKE COVER NOW AND DON'T MOVE. AND WE ARE NOT DOING THAT WITH THIS ORDER. IT IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS. THOSE OF US THAT LIVE IN INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTS. AND SO STAY AT HOME IS LESS RESTRICTIVE. YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE. WE WANT YOU TO BREATHE FRESH AIR. WE WANT YOU TO EXERCISE. WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE BEAUTY THAT IS OUR HOME. I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO GO FOR A WALK OR A JOG. YOU CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND SOME PEOPLE CAN GO TO WORK. AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING SINCE DAY ONE. IF YOU CAN WORK REMOTELY, PLEASE DO SO. THESE ORDERS BASICALLY DEFINE TWO CATEGORIES ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES. NOW, ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES ARE THINGS LIKE DOCTORS VISITS, FOOD, SHOPPING AND EXERCISE. AND IF GOING TO WORK IS AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS FOR YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO TO WORK. WE WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO OUTSIDE YOUR HOME, YOU CAN LEGALLY UNDER THESE ORDERS. BUT THE LIST OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES MAY NOT INCLUDE A LOT OF THINGS YOU WANT TO DO. I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT AGAIN, WE WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO OUTSIDE YOUR HOME, YOU CAN. BUT THE LIST OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE ALL OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO. AND THAT IS THE SACRIFICE WE ARE ALL MAKING TO STAY AT HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, TO REDUCE CONTACT AND TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS. SO THERE ARE ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES WHICH INCLUDE WORKING AT AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS. ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES INCLUDE HEALTH CARE, FIRST RESPONDERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE WATER, ELECTRICITY AND INTERNET SERVICE, RETAIL ACTIVITIES LIKE GROCERY STORES AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS IN NEED. ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES ALSO INCLUDE THOSE SERVICES NEEDED TO KEEP UP THE HOMES. YOU'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING A LOT MORE TIME IN FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS TO KEEP OUR ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES UP AND RUNNING. THIS INCLUDES PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, MECHANICS, CARPENTERS, ROOFERS, AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRMAN AND TECHNICIANS. IT INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE ESSENTIAL FOLKS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO MAKE SURE OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT INCLUDES DELIVERY SERVICES AND THOSE WHO PROVIDE COMPUTER AND INTERNET SERVICES TO [00:10:03] HELP ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WORKING FROM HOME. AND MANY OF YOU THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING FROM HOME, WHICH HAVE REALLY HELPED US SLOW THIS INFECTION RATE. SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND BUSINESSES THAT NEED TO KEEP RUNNING. THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDER COVERS AND FOR THE MEDIA AND FOR THOSE OF YOU AT HOME, WE'RE GONNA BE PUBLISHING THESE ORDERS IN THEIR ENTIRETY. OF COURSE, THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE IN MANY DIFFERENT WEB SITES AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND YOU CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE LIST OF ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND ALL OF THE EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE CONTAINED THEREIN. AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, WE INTEND HERE IN NUECES COUNTY TO SET UP AN INFORMATIONAL NUMBER SO THAT YOU CAN CALL AND ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO SET THAT UP BY FRIDAY. NOW, THESE ORDERS, WHEN YOU SEE THEM, THEY WILL LAST FOR TWO WEEKS. AND THESE ORDERS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE IN EFFECT TODAY. THEY'LL START TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT. SO HOW CAN YOU HELP? I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER BOTH THE LETTER AND THE INTENT OF THE ORDER BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME. YOU'RE GOING TO ASK YOURSELF, WHERE AM I GOING? AM I GOING TO WORK? AM I GOING TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S ESSENTIAL? THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXCEPTION SIMPLY MEANS IN THE ORDER THAT YOU HAVE TO [INAUDIBLE] TO LEAVE YOUR HOME TO GET MEDICINE OR ANYTHING DIRECTLY INVOLVING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, INCLUDING YOUR BELOVED PETS. YOU CAN GO OUTSIDE YOUR HOME FOR NECESSARY SUPPLIES AND SERVICES. AND AGAIN, AS WE SAID, I WANT TO KEEP REITERATING IT. YOUR HEB IS STILL AVAILABLE TO YOU AS WELL AS OTHER BIG BOX STORES. YOU CAN GET SUPPLIES AND HOUSEHOLD CONSUMER PRODUCTS TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY, SANITATION AND OPERATION OF YOUR RESIDENTS. YOU CAN GO OUTDOORS FOR EXERCISE IF YOU PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAY AT LEAST SIX FEET APART FROM EVERYONE. IF YOUR JOB IS DEEMED ESSENTIAL, YOU CAN CARRY ON WORK RELATED ACTIVITIES. YOU CAN ALSO LEAVE YOUR HOME TO TAKE CARE OF A FAMILY MEMBER OR A PET AT ANOTHER RESIDENCE. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF PROVISIONS WHICH ALLOW FOR THE NECESSARY ACTIVITY AND THAT WAS DELIBERATE ON OUR PART HERE IN NUECES COUNTY. AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M OK WITH SAYING NORMALLY WE LOVE TO SAY THE WORD WE. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF WE IN PREPARING THIS ORDERS A LOT OF INPUT, A LOT OF COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION. BUT AS THE NUECES COUNTY JUDGE, IT IS MY DUTY CONSTITUTIONALLY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU IT ISN'T HARD FOR ME. I WANT TO DO IT. I NEED TO DO IT. IT'S NOT ONLY MY RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I TAKE TO HEART EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO THIS STAY AT HOME ORDER IS NOT A SUGGESTION. IT IS LAW AND IT IS ENFORCEABLE AND YOU'LL SEE THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISION AT THE END OF THE ORDER. THE PEOPLE OF NUECES COUNTY HAVE TRULY STEPPED UP OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS IN SO MANY WAYS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE DONE WHAT'S NEEDED TO BE DONE. AND I KNOW THAT I AM ASKING MORE. BUT THE BEST ENFORCEMENT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ONE ANOTHER. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS ORDER IN MANY WAYS, IN MOST WAYS, COMPLIES WITH THE GOVERNOR'S MOST RECENT ORDER. IT DEFINITELY EXTENDS THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER IN OTHER ARENAS, BUT IT COVERS ALL OF THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER. AND THIS, AS I SAID, WILL STAY IN PLACE UNTIL APRIL 8TH, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL REEVALUATE. WE HAVE ALREADY FOUND NEW WAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO WORK AND PLAY AND WORSHIP. I'VE HEARD INCREDIBLE STORIES OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS OF PEOPLE ADAPTING TO THIS NEW REALITY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU YOUR CONCERNS, YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR SUGGESTIONS. AND I WANT TO HELP IN SHARING THE MESSAGE OF HOW WE CAN STAY HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE DURING THIS TIME. I WANT TO ADDRESS MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE SMALL BUSINESS, WHICH HAVE HAD TO CLOSE ALREADY, AND I'M MINDFUL THAT THESE ORDERS WILL HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON MANY OF THEM. IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I HAVE THIS REALIZATION. AND SO I AM COMMITTED. IN FACT, I AM PLEDGING THAT BY MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK I HAVE REDIRECTED OUR NUECES COUNTY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO MAKE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN NUECES [00:15:04] COUNTY WITH THESE ORDERS AND WITH THE ENTIRE VIRUS IN AND OF ITSELF AS A TOP PRIORITY TO FOCUS ON SMALL BUSINESSES. OR LARGE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. AND WE WILL IMPLEMENT THIS OFFICE TO PURSUE FUNDING, TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO RE PIVOT ON HOW WE DO BUSINESS. WE WILL WORK TIRELESSLY. IF OUR ORDERS HAVE AFFECTED YOU, WE WANT TO HELP. I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, ALL THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS. I HAVE CALLED UPON OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES NOT ONLY GET BACK ON THEIR FEET AFTER THIS IS OVER, BUT TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES. AND AS I SAID, I LOOK FORWARD ON MONDAY TO OUTLINING WITH YOU THE DETAILS OF THIS NEW PROGRAM. AS I'VE SAID BEFORE AND MANY OTHER EVENTS WHERE WE HAVE GATHERED LIKE THIS. IT'S IN OUR DNA. THIS RESILIENCE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT A HURRICANE. I KNOW THAT THESE HURRICANES THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HAVE TAUGHT US A VALUABLE LESSON. I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT THE TIME WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND I WAS ON MORGAN STREET WHERE MY FATHER HAD JUST BUILT HIS OFFICE. AND ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY YOUNG, WHAT I REMEMBER WAS THE DEVASTATION AND ONLY AN OLD HEAVY TYPEWRITER REMAIN AMONGST THE RUBBLE AND THE PAPERS THAT WERE FLYING EVERYWHERE. AND IT SEEMED LIKE ALL WAS LOST. IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING HAD HIT US THAT WAS UNINVITED, UNEXPECTED AND CATASTROPHIC. BUT TODAY STANDS A VERY STRONG BUILDING. AND IT STOOD THAT WAY SINCE 1971. AND SO I KNOW THAT EVERY STORM DOES END AND AND SUNNY DAYS DO ALWAYS RETURN. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS ORDER GIVES YOU THE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. I WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I WANT US TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. BUT THIS ORDER DOES REQUIRE YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE, OUR BEHAVIOR WILL CONTROL OUR DESTINY. AND IT'S THE BEST WAY THAT WE BELIEVE BOTH THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE ADVISING ME, THE HEALTH AUTHORITY AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AS ELECTEDS WHERE WE COULD REDUCE CONTACT BETWEEN PEOPLE WHERE THIS VIRUS LOVES TO INVADE AND SLOW THE SPREAD. AND SO I'M CONTINUING TO PLEDGE TO YOU AND THAT I AM COMMITTED TO STAYING PROACTIVE. I WANT TO BE AHEAD OF THESE EVENTS AND BY WORKING PROACTIVELY TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE MORE PEOPLE HEALTHY. WE CAN RETURN TO OUR NORMAL ACTIVITY SOONER. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THE SACRIFICE FOR YOUR PATIENTS. AND FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY. LET YOUR FAITH. LET YOUR FAITH BE BIGGER THAN OUR FEARS. I WROTE SOMETHING DOWN, AS I ALWAYS DO. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT KNOW ME, I JUST. IT HELPS ME AND I HOPE THAT IT HELPS YOU. I MENTIONED IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST INDEX PATIENT WAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. IT SEEMS LIKE SO LONG AGO, MAYOR. AND YET IT WAS JUST A FEW DAYS AGO AND NOW WE'RE AT 11. AND I TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS IMAGE THAT I HAD THAT I'VE USED IN MY OWN LIFE AND IN MY WITH MY OWN DAUGHTER. AND IT'S ABOUT ADJUSTMENT. AND SO THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I'M MEDITATING ON, THINKING ABOUT, REFLECTING UPON. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW. THAT I'M WITH YOU. AND I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU. I'M GOING TO STAY STRONG. I'M GOING TO STAY POSITIVE. I'M GOING TO STAY PROACTIVE. I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR YOU WHEN YOU'RE TIRED OF FIGHTING. WHEN IT'S DIFFICULT IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS, I'M GOING TO FIND A WAY TO HELP YOU. MY GRANDMOTHER CLEO USED TO SAY HERE WE ARE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE. SO THE PESSIMISTS COMPLAINS ABOUT THE WIND. AND THE OPTIMIST EXPECTS IT TO CHANGE. AND THE LEADER ADJUSTS THE SAILS. I NEEDED TO ADJUST MY SAILS TODAY FOR THE BETTERMENT AND FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF OUR [00:20:02] COMMUNITY. AND THE WINDS WILL CHANGE. AND I AM AN OPTIMIST, I EXPECT THEM TO CHANGE. BUT I KNOW THAT WITHOUT ADJUSTING MY SAILS, THE STORM WILL BE TOO STRONG. LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING IS TIED HAND IN HAND. AND SO WHAT WE ARE LEARNING TODAY IS THAT LEADERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THESE HARD DECISIONS. THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDER IS TODAY. I BELIEVE IT'S LEADERSHIP. AND I BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY GOOD LEADERS AROUND THE STATE TO HELP ME SEE THE TEMPLATE THAT HAS BEEN WORKING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS. AND I'M GRATEFUL AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE SOLIDARITY THAT IS SOUTH TEXAS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH JUDGE MADRID. HE HAS SPOKEN WITH OTHER COUNTY JUDGES. AND WE EXPECT THAT OTHER SOUTH TEXAS COUNTIES WILL JOIN FORCES WITH US TO MIMIC THESE ORDERS SO THAT WE ALL CAN BE CONSISTENT. AND SOUTH TEXAS STRONG. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. I WILL BE OPENING UP FOR QUESTIONS. AND I ALSO HAVE A FEW PEOPLE HERE THAT CAN ALSO JOIN ME. IF YOU WISH TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF MAYOR MCCOMB. HE'S HERE ALSO COUNTY JUDGE MADRID AS WELL. THANK YOU. LET ME CLARIFY, WE FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PURPOSES, WE LOOK AT RESIDENTS OF COUNTIES. SO ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAS TESTED POSITIVE INSIDE NUECES COUNTY IS NOT A RESIDENT OF NUECES COUNTY. SO SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER 10 AND SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBER ELEVEN. FOR MY PURPOSES, IF YOU'RE HERE, I KIND OF WANT TO KNOW THAT WHOLE NUMBER AS FAR AS TESTS GO. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT IS A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION AND WE ARE GOING TO CURE THIS. WE'VE ALREADY ASKED HELP FROM OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION. BUT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PRIVATE TEST COMPANIES LIKE QUEST AND LABCORP AND OTHERS ONLY GIVE US POSITIVE RESULTS SO WE DON'T HAVE A TOTAL FOR YOU. AS FAR AS TESTING GOES, HOWEVER, SHORTLY BEFORE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, I SPOKE WITH CHAIRMAN [INAUDIBLE] AND CHAIRMAN HUNTER AND SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] AND SENATOR HINOJOSA. AND THEY ARE GOING TO WORK TO RELIEVE US OF THAT IMPEDIMENT, BECAUSE THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA IS IMPORTANT. IT DOES HAVE A STORY TO TELL. AND WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE APPROPRIATE STATE AGENCY SO THAT WE CAN REVEAL THAT DATA TO YOU. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WHEN YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING AN ANSWER, THAT THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US NOT WANTING TO GIVE IT TO YOU, BUT THAT WE MUST WORK WITHIN THE PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAVE. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE INSTANCES. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I HAVE THE SAME STATEMENT IN SPANISH FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE AUDIENCE. I'M GOING TO FINISH THE QUESTIONS AND THEN I SAID I'M GOING TO LET THE QUESTIONS FINISH AND THEN I'M GOING TO REPEAT WHAT I JUST SAID IN SPANISH. YES, SIR. YES, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONE RESIDENT OF ROBSTOWN, TEXAS WITHIN OUR GROUP. YES, MA'AM. SO IF YOU'RE A PART OF THIS INDUSTRY THAT'S LISTED AS CRITICAL OR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, TYPICALLY YOU MIGHT HAVE A BADGE, IF YOU WILL, OR SOME SORT OF AN I.D.. I KNOW I SPOKE WITH INDUSTRY TODAY. MANY OF THE REFINERIES ARE WORKING WHERE THEIR FOLKS DO NOT DO NOT HAVE BADGES TO GET THEM, EITHER A LETTER OR BADGES. BUT AGAIN, ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH. THE IDEA HERE IS TO UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF THE DOCUMENT, NOT TO BE A PUNITIVE WITH THIS DOCUMENT. UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO SAY WE REALLY MEAN IT. PLEASE STAY HOME SO THAT WE CAN STAY SAFE AND WE CAN STAY HEALTHY. BUT THE IDEA IS NOT TO PUNISH YOU IF YOU'RE AN ELECTRICIAN AND YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR BADGE. I'M CERTAIN THERE ARE WAYS WITHIN OUR INDUSTRIES AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH UNIONS AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR PORT INDUSTRIES AND OUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN ORDER SO THAT THERE IS AN EASY WAY TO SAY, HEY, I'M ESSENTIAL. BUT LET ME ALSO SUGGEST THAT WHEN YOU READ THIS ORDER, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT IF YOU'RE [00:25:01] A COMPANY THAT SERVES GOVERNMENT OR SERVES HEALTH CARE OR SERVES CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU CAN GO TO WORK, TOO. SO FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE OVERWHELMING, YOU KNOW, MAJORITY, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND A NEXUS TO WHAT YOU DO WITH WHAT IS ESSENTIAL OR CRITICAL OR HEALTH CARE OR RELATED TO YOUR RESIDENTS. RIGHT. THE SPIRIT IS TO KEEP US STRONG IN OUR MINDS AND OUR BODIES AND OUR SOULS. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS BUSINESS OF LIMITING CONTACT. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, IT IS SO HEAVY ON MY HEART. BUT THERE ARE SOME BUSINESSES WHERE THE VIRUS JUST PREYS UPON, AND THAT'S WHERE THERE'S SUCH ONE TO ONE CONTACT THAT THOSE JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN. YES, SIR. IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH APRIL 8TH. THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER IS THE THIRD, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO IF THERE IS A NEED TO DO ANYTHING FOR AMENDMENTS, IF DEPENDING ON WHAT THE GOVERNOR ORDERS. WE'LL MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THIS IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT. AND IN THE LEGAL WORLD, AMENDMENTS ARE NOT ONLY APPROPRIATE, BUT PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE FOR A DYNAMIC SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. THE FIRST PIECE TO REMEMBER IS THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY. WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NORMALLY. WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, MY MOM WOULD SAY TO ME, DON'T BE GALLIVANTING EVERYWHERE. THIS IS A AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE SPIRIT OF THIS IS TO NOT DO EXTRA RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE. THERE'S A WHOLE SENTENCE HERE THAT'S GUIDED TOWARDS OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. IT'S SO HEALTHY. IT'S SO IMPORTANT. IF YOU ARE NORMALLY A WALKER OR A JOGGER. DO IT. JUST MAINTAIN THE RULE OF 10. MAINTAIN YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE AND ENJOY WHERE YOU LIVE. THIS IS BASICALLY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE GET SERIOUS AND FIRM ABOUT NOT DOING THAT WHICH IS NOT NECESSARY. SO. LOOK WHAT WE'RE WHAT WE'RE REALLY. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS, THIS ORDER, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE BLATANTLY OR FLAGRANTLY GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CONGREGATE WITH 100 PEOPLE, WHEN WE'VE TOLD YOU WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS YOU'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO HAVE 10 AND WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, BREAK THAT UP AND YOU JUST ARE DEFIANT. OF COURSE, I'M GOING TO ENFORCE THAT ORDER. BUT THE IDEA HERE IS NOT TO BE PUNITIVE. IT'S TO BE STRONG AND FIRM WITH OUR MESSAGING. AND I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT TOGETHER. I HAVE CONFIDENCE. A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN ALL THE PEOPLE OF NUECES COUNTY, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE, WHICH IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP BUSINESS MOVING. WE ABSOLUTELY KEEP OUR ECONOMY HEALTHY, THAT WE KEEP OUR BODIES HEALTHY, TOO. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CARE ABOUT OUR FELLOW NEIGHBOR AND OUR FELLOW COWORKER. AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO TO PROTECT THEM AS WELL. YES. A GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ORDERS AT THE VERY BACK. YOU'LL SEE THEM. IT TALKS ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING. IT TALKS ABOUT TRAVEL. AND THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT I'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, IF YOU FEEL SICK, PLEASE STAY HOME. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WHEN YOU ENTER THIS COURTHOUSE, YOU GOT A FEVER EXAMINATION, A FEVER CHECK. WHY? BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE A FEVER, YOU NEED TO GO HOME. IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORK INSIDE NUECES COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND SOME OF OUR SATELLITE OFFICES ARE ALSO HAVING FEVER CHECKS AS WELL. SO, YES, THERE IS ONE PIECE OF MEDICAL VERBAGE AND I CAN REFER THAT NOT BY MEMORY HERE, BUT BY PARAPHRASE, WHICH IS THAT IF YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THE VIRUS, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD NEED TO BE ISOLATED IN YOUR HOME FOR 14 DAYS. THAT'S PRETTY REASONABLE. THAT'S DOCTOR'S ORDERS. I'M NOT A DOCTOR, BUT THE DOCTOR WHO ADVISES THE COUNTY ASKED THAT I PUT THAT IN THERE TO MAKE ABSOLUTE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, AS IF YOU HAVE A MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHO HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED, THAT YOU SHOULD SELF ISOLATE YOUR HOUSEHOLD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NINE OF THE ELEVEN ARE TRAVEL RELATED AND [00:30:06] TWO OF THEM ARE STILL QUESTION MARKS I BELIEVE AND WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OR [INAUDIBLE] CALL IT THE ORIGIN OF THOSE TWO CASES. BUT CLEARLY, NINE OUT OF ELEVEN REALLY INDICATES THAT MY RECOMMENDATION AT THE BACK OF THIS ORDER PROBABLY IS A GREAT IDEA, WHICH IS THAT YOU SHOULD ONLY BE TRAVELING FOR ESSENTIAL WORK OR ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE. AND THAT'S IT. WE THINK THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE. YES, MA'AM. YOU MEAN OUTSIDE CORPUS CHRISTI , BUT WITHIN MY JURISDICTION. SURE, SURE. ABSOLUTELY. LOOK, THE HEALTH AUTHORITY IS THE INCIDENT COMMANDER HERE, AND THE HEALTH AUTHORITY HAS BEEN VERY FORTHCOMING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT US GIVING A STATUS REPORT. IN FACT, AT THE CITY EARLIER TODAY, THERE'S GONNA BE KIND OF A STANDING STATUS REPORT EVERY DAY. AND LET ME SAY SOMETHING I THINK IS VERY CRITICAL. AND THAT IS THAT IF YOU THINK THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, KNOW SOMETHING, BECAUSE SOMEHOW IT'S BEEN TOLD TO YOU AND YOU THINK, WELL, THE COUNTY HASN'T SAID ANYTHING OR THE CITY HASN'T SAID ANYTHING. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I'M A STICKLER FOR. AND THAT IS THE RULES. WE FOLLOW THE RULE THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONFIRMATION, WRITTEN CONFIRMATION BEFORE YOU DISCLOSE A CASE. THAT IS FOR ACCURACY. PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF THE PATIENT. AN ABSOLUTE COMMON SENSE. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT FACEBOOK NOT BE ANYBODY'S MEASURE OF ACCURACY. I'VE SAID IT, I'VE YELLED IT. I'VE BEEN PRETTY, PRETTY TOUGH ABOUT IT. IF YOU ASK ME A QUESTION, I WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. I SWEAR IT. DO NOT GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES. YOUR BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS YOUR STATUS UPDATE EVERY DAY, WHICH IS A JOINT UPDATE. CITY AND COUNTY AT THREE O'CLOCK. AND IF SOMETHING CHANGES AND EVEN IF YOU HEAR ABOUT IT, THERE'S SOME RUMOR. IT IS NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL THE HEALTH AUTHORITY SAYS IT'S CONFIRMED. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THINK ABOUT IT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE. YOU WANT THAT. YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR HEALTH AUTHORITY IS FACTUALLY ACCURATE. YOU BET ALL GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS ARE OPEN, ALL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH INDUSTRY. EVERY SUPPORT SERVICE HAVING TO DO WITH INDUSTRY IS OPEN. I SPECIFICALLY USE LANGUAGE WITH REGARDS TO OUR MILITARY DEFENSE ORGANIZATIONS AND THERE'S THREE OF THEM BESIDES CCAD NAVAL AIR STATION, CORPUS CHRISTI AND UNITED STATES GULF COAST COAST GUARD SECTOR. AND SO IT IS ABSOLUTELY WHEN YOU GET TO SEE THIS ORDER MOMENTARILY AND YOU SEE ALL OF THE DETAILS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE MADE THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY TO PRODUCE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR OUR CITIZENS HEALTH AND FOR OUR ECONOMY. THANK YOU. AND I NEED TO SIGN IT IS WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. SO LET ME GET THIS PEN READY. I'VE SIGNED THREE COPIES AND I'M GOING TO FILE THEM WITH THE COUNTY CLERK. I WILL MAKE THEM AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE ON THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI'S WEB SITE. WE WILL ALSO HAVE A COPY IF YOU NEED TO MAKE A COPY, WE CAN GET ONE TO YOU RIGHT NOW. AND AGAIN, LET'S MESSAGE THIS RIGHT. THIS ORDER ALLOWS YOU TO MOVE. THIS ORDER ALLOWS YOU TO GO OUTSIDE. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS FOR YOU TO STAY AT HOME IF YOU CAN. BUT IF YOU NEED TO MOVE BECAUSE IT'S A NECESSITY CHANCES ARE IT'S IN HERE. [00:35:02] AND THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT. LET'S STAY SAFE, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.