19 March 2020 – Public Health Disaster declared in Texas

Type of Intervention: Executive Order
Sectors Involved: Civil Defence, Health
Intervention Categories: Legal and policy; Declaring state of emergency
Level of Jurisdiction: Texas
Lead People/Agency: Dr. John Hellerstedt

Overview: Dr. John Hellerstedt issues public health disaster declaration in Texas
Full details here: https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/dr-john-hellerstedt-issues-public-health-disaster-declaration-in-texas

Type of Justification: Perception of an increased threat
Evidence/Justification: The spread of the communicable disease known as COVID-19 in the State of Texas has created an immediate threat, poses a high risk of death to a large number of people and creates a substantial risk of public exposure because of the disease’s method of transmission and evidence that there is community spread in Texas.