The end of 2020 for most people will mark the close of an unusual and challenging year. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said he understands the desire to celebrate this New Year’s Eve but offered words of caution.
“We are not implementing any restrictions or curfews tomorrow evening; however, we are strongly recommending that everyone limit their exposure to people outside their household,” Becerra said.
He said avoiding large gatherings can help the county get the recent COVID-19 surge, which includes higher cases counts and more hospitalizations, back under control.
“Now is not the time to relax and be complacent,” he said. “By being proactive we can mitigate the challenges of limited hospital staff and bed availability in the county. We don’t want to reach the capacity thresholds that trigger closures and shutdowns.
Judge Becerra said he, along with the Hays County Local Health Department, support the recommendations of wearing masks, practicing social distancing and regular hand washing as effective methods to slow the spread of the virus.
“By avoiding gatherings and having smaller New Year’s celebrations at home, we can avoid a post-holiday increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” he said. “Mask up so we don’t have to shut down.”
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