Type of Intervention: Executive Order
Sectors Involved: Civil Defence
Intervention Categories: Social and physical distancing measures; Domestic travel
Level of Jurisdiction: Texas
Lead People/Agency: Gregg Abbott
Overview: Gregg Abbott issued an executive order mandating a self-quarantine of 14 days for individuals traveling to Texas as their final destination through an airport from the Tri-State Area of New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut as well as the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Full details here: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/EO-GA-11_airport_travel_reporting_COVID-19_IMAGE_03-26-2020.pdf
Type of Justification: Advice of EXTERNAL expert advisor or advisory committee, Anecdotal Evidence (e.g. social or traditional media with limited evidence base)
Source of Evidence or Justification: National – government
Evidence/Justification: Many cases of COVID- 19 in the State of Texas were caused by people who transmitted the virus to Texans after flying here from other states and countries; and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, recently urged everyone who traveled from the New York metropolitan area to selfquarantine for 14 days to ensure that COVID-19 does not spread to others; and Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, likewise called for 14 days of self-quarantine of travelers from New York so that New York does not act as a “seeding point to the rest of the country;” and fter the Governor of Florida imposed a quarantine on all air travelers arriving from the New York Tn-State Area, which is experiencing substantial community spread of COVID- 19, the Mayor of New York City remarked to the press, “I understand it. We are the epicenter;” and he “governor is responsible for meeting… the dangers to the state and people presented by disasters” under Section 418.011 of the Texas Government Code, and the legislature has given the governor broad authority to fulfill that responsibility; and under Section 4 18.012, the “governor may issue executive orders… hav[ingj the force and effect of law;” and under Section 4 18.017(a), the “governor may use all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with a disaster.