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: Governor of the State of Texas
Overview: Gregg Abbott issued an executive order relating to roadway screening and self-quarantine during the COVID-19 disaster. Every person who enters the State of Texas through roadways from Louisiana, or from any other state as may be proclaimed hereafter, shall be subject to mandatory self-quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into Texas or duration of the person’s presence in Texas, whichever is shorter. This order does not apply to people traveling in connection with commercial activity, military service, emergency response, health response, or critical-infrastructure functions, as may be determined by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Full details here: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/EO-GA-12_roadway_quarantine_for_COVID-19_IMAGE_03-29-2020.pdf
Type of Justification: Perception of an increased threat
Evidence/Justification: Many cases of COVID-19 in the State of Texas were caused by people who transmitted the virus to Texans after traveling here from other states and countries; and imposed a mandatory self-quarantine of 14 days for air travelers flying to Texas from certain areas experiencing substantial community spread of COVD-19, including the City of New Orleans; and Texas shares a border with Louisiana; and on March 26, 2020, the Governor of Louisiana proclaimed that “the COVID-19 outbreak in Louisiana has expanded significantly;” and on March 27, 2020, the Governor of Florida extended his quarantine to cover people traveling from Louisiana by roadways; and the “governor is responsible for meeting …the dangers to the state and people presented by disasters” under Section 418.0 11 of the Texas Government Code, and the legislature has given the governor broad authority to fulfill that responsibility.