TEXARKANA, Texas - Bowie County Judge Bobby Howell issued a shelter in place order Friday, urging residents to take the threat of the new coronavirus seriously.
County residents must stay home and refrain from travel unless for purposes deemed essential. All gatherings of any size outside the home are prohibited. All nonessential businesses in the county must cease operations, except for certain minimal functions.
The order took effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday and will remain in place until 12 a.m. April 13.
Howell struck a solemn tone as he spoke about the danger county residents face from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, at an 11 a.m. news conference at the Texarkana, Texas, Convention Center.
"This decision was not made lightly. It's the last thing I wanted to do," he said. "Everybody needs to reduce the amount of travel and exposure, because it's out there. I don't care what anyone says, the scientific evidence is overwhelming."
The growing numbers of COVID-19 cases in neighboring Texas counties and Louisiana - especially in nearby Shreveport and the rest of Caddo Parish - are of serious concern to Bowie County residents, Howell said. Because Texarkana is a regional hub for medical care and commerce, with multiple highways passing through, the Twin Cities are particularly open to travelers bringing the virus here with them, he said.
"I want to convey how serious this issue is. Bowie County is trying to be proactive and trying to do our part to protect our citizens. But the reality is that COVID-19 is a challenging thing to tame. The only way to do it is to stay in our homes, stop traveling, stop meeting in groups.
"We've got too much exposure. We've got it rapidly exploding to our south in Louisiana and all around us," Howell said.
As of Friday morning, there were three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bowie County and a fourth detected in a contractor from elsewhere who recently worked in the county, Howell said.
The regional Joint Emergency Operations Center is tracking about 75 coronavirus tests conducted recently in the region, Local Health Authority Dr. Matt Young said.
"We know we will have more positives," Young said.
"That's the importance of trying to decrease our ability to come in contact with each other. That's the importance of shelter in place."
Miller County Judge Cathy Hardin Harrison said she did not yet find it necessary to issue curfew or stay at home orders.
"I have received no complaints from the sheriff's office or the mayors of Miller County," Harrison said. "As of today there are no positive cases of COVID-19 in Miller County. If that changes, the citizens of Miller County will be informed immediately."
The Miller County Courthouse will remain open, but people who have COVID-19 symptoms or are not feeling well are asked to stay away. The state Juvenile Detention Center on the Arkansas side is not accepting visitors, but the juveniles housed there can use video calls to communicate with their legal guardians, Harrison said.
The Arkansas secretary of health is the official with the authority to issue any shelter in place orders or other restrictions, Arkansas-side Mayor Allen Brown said.
"The secretary of health in consultation with the governor has the sole authority over instances of quarantine, isolation and restrictions on commerce and travel throughout the state of Arkansas.
"We simply, in conversations with the governor's office last night, have been asked not to issue a shelter in place," Brown said.
Both Harrison and Brown stressed their support for the Bowie County order and urged compliance.
"We stand with our sister city and sister county," Brown said.
Texas-side Mayor Bob Bruggeman also emphasized the gravity of the situation.
"The numbers are growing in our region, and this is a critical time to take action," he said. "Together we can get through this."
All residents in both Texarkanas remain under a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and violators could receive a municipal citation.
Arkansas-side residents are asked to limit gatherings to 10 people or fewer, but it would be better if people stay home, Brown said, pointing to the danger of local first responders becoming infected.
"If we were to get into a situation in Texarkana, Arkansas, where we have to self-quarantine five police officers, five firemen, whatever the case may be, we would be in desperate need of additional officers," Brown said.
Brown called for unity in the unprecedented and quickly changing situation.
"Be kind, be compassionate and understanding, and know that we're all in this together," he said.