by Anita Miller
“We’re all in the same storm, but not in the same ship.”
Those were the words of Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell, who went online Wednesday to offer an update on how the city will adhere to but customize the executive order issued April 27 by Gov. Gregg Abbott related to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Mitchell ordered that employees of some retail establishments wear masks, and will continue to require that staff at daycare centers wear them. He held back on opening playgrounds and pools, but said data gathered in the next couple of weeks could lead to a loosening of restrictions.
Most of the emergency protocols at gas stations will continue, he said, except for the requirement to sanitize hand upon entry. Hand sanitizer stations at those businesses will continue.
His new orders, effective May 1, run through May 18.
His mask requirement would apply to big box stores and would mandate employees wear one if they are interacting with customers at the point of sale.
“Masks are a little bit annoying, but they’re proven to have a significant impact on slowing contagion … we want to do everything we can to slow the spread without impacting the business community … we can’t mandate masks throughout the community, but we have wiggle room enough to require employees have theirs on at the customer point of sale,” he said.
Beginning May 1, he’s also slightly expanding the operation of the city’s daycare centers. Those businesses had been restricted to children of essential workers and limited to members of five households. May 1 - 18, nine households will be allowed per center. Mitchell said children will be encouraged, but not required, to be masked.
“I’m thankful for the governor taking the stance to try to establish uniform practices,” Mitchell said.
The mayor also addressed the number of confirmed cases among Kyle residents, which is the highest of any Hays County municipalities at roughly 50 percent of the county’s total. Though the numbers have been rising, so have the numbers of those who have recovered.
Those higher numbers could reflect the number of health professionals who reside in Kyle who, because of their employment, have access to testing, as well as the fact there are a number of testing sites in and near Kyle. "Thankfully, several dozen of our confirmed active cases are represented by just a few households."
“I’m going to trying to get more analysis from the county health department in order to better understand where the cases are coming from, how many total households are represented and how the disease is being spread in the community.”
Recent data, he said, gives reason for encouragement.
Mitchell said he’s “looking forward” to May 18. Loosening restrictions at that time, however, will depend both on the number of active cases and hospitalizations. “Assuming that number (of people in hospitals) remains the same we expect on May 18 we will start to scale back some of those restrictions.”
