Governor Extends Disaster Declaration
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – On Wednesday, May 13, Governor Greg Abbott today issued a proclamation extending his Disaster Declaration for all Texas counties in response to COVID-19.
The original Disaster Declaration was issued on March 13 and extended on April 12.
The Disaster Declaration provides the state a number of resources to effectively serve Texans as the Lone Star State continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the governor’s office stated.
“As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority remains the health and safety of all Texans,” Gov. Abbott said.
“By extending the disaster declaration,” he continued, “we are ensuring that Texas has the resources and capabilities in place to safely and strategically open the state while containing the spread of this virus. As we move forward in our response, I urge all Texans to continue following the health and safety guidelines laid out by the CDC and Texas’ team of medical experts.”
When the governor declared a State of Disaster on March 13, a number of actions were triggered which included:
- Authorizing the use of all available and necessary state government resources to help manage this situation.
- Activating the state emergency management plan and the State Operations Center to enhance the state’s planning and response capabilities.
- Giving TDEM the ability to reassign and fully utilize appropriate personnel where they are needed most.
- Providing the immediate ability to move resources around the state, including resources obtained through the Strategic National Stockpile.
- Empowering the Office of the Texas Attorney General (OAG) to pursue cases of price-gouging and ensure that offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
