Arlington coronavirus cases, plus what’s closed or canceled and other updates

The coronavirus has had ripple effects on the country, including Arlington.

Dozens of events have been canceled, officials recommend limiting travel, group gatherings and educational institutions have suspended classes in wake of COVID-19.

Here is information on how the new coronavirus has affected Arlington.

City/county updates

Arlington ordered residents to stay home, canceled all gatherings in the city and postponed the May municipal election in an amendment its local disaster declaration. It closes businesses that aren’t deemed as essential but says they can operate on a “work from home” basis or to perform basic business maintenance. Anyone who violates the ordinance could be fined up to $500 a day or taken to court.

The city council also closed bars and other recreational facilities indefinitely and restricted restaurants to to-go offerings only. President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that a major disaster exists in Texas because of the coronavirus.

There have been 114 COVID-19 cases reported in Tarrant County, including 18 in Arlington as of Friday. UT-Arlington announced that one of those cases is a student, but no other details have been released at the time. The Tarrant County Health Department reached out to people who were in contact with the infected student and placed them in self-isolation. Pat James, who lived in Arlington, was hospitalized with double pneumonia about a week ago at Arlington Memorial Hospital. His death could be the first in the region that has been linked to the coronavirus and was likely community transmitted.

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Education

Arlington ISD’s 78 schools and campuses are closed indefinitely.

All ISD events, including athletics, fine arts activities, clubs and organizations and all other gatherings will be canceled, according to the statement. Essential administration personnel will continue to work, with plans to work remotely as much as possible.

Arlington ISD is operating 23 meal distribution centers for students. Children will be provided one packaged lunch and breakfast for the next day. No form of identification is required, but children must be present. Each location operates daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The district has established a student counseling services hotline. Students can call (682) 867-9416 to be connected with school counselors to discuss stress, anxiety or other issues. It will be open for calls Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Parents can call (682) 867-9417 to be connected with district staff members who will assist them in navigating resources related to food, clothing, shelter and transportation.

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Mansfield ISD has also extended its spring break and is providing meal plans for students. See details here.

The University of Texas at Arlington is transitioning all classes to online instruction only to the end of the semester. All campus tours, events, and activities are canceled for the rest of the semester, including its graduation ceremonies. Campus resident hall students are required to return to their permanent residences unless they receive exceptions.

Tarrant County College has moved its classes to online instruction only, including its Southeast Campus in Arlington.

Arlington Baptist University is suspending on-campus classes until March 30.

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Event cancellations

• Arlington libraries are closed from March 16 to 30.
• All recreation centers operated by the Arlington Parks and Recreation are closed through March 31. Special events, rentals and club sports are also canceled.
• Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington has closed until the end of March.
• Tarrant County jury trials are canceled until April 20.
• Arlington Animal Services has made several adjustments that will reduce field operations to emergency calls only and require pet adoptions to be scheduled by phone.
• Arlington Music Hall has postponed and rescheduled many of its shows. View its website for details.
• Arlington Museum of Art will be closed to the public throughout the schedule of its current exhibit (art from AISD schools), potentially ending on April 15.
• All MLB events, including the Texas Rangers home opener, have been delayed. XFL has ended its first season since 2000. The Mexican National Team will not return to AT&T Stadium for its U.S. tour.
• Texas Live has canceled or postponed all festivals and concerts. It has canceled several events as well.
• Dozens of churches and other places of worship have canceled in-person meetings and many live stream services. Check-in with your place of worship to see what they have planned.
• Starting Monday, the Parks Mall at Arlington will operate between noon and 7 p.m. every day except for Sunday, which will operate from noon to 6 p.m. Individual vendor and store hours are available in the mall’s directory.
• Many other events in the city have been canceled.

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Resources and services

• Tarrant County coronavirus Information Hotline: 817-248-6299 (business hours only).
• 2-1-1 Texas, a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, helps connects Texans to services such as food, health services and housing.
• The city of Arlington has a coronavirus microsite.
• Charter Communications is offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with students in kindergarten through 12th grade and college.
• The City of Arlington Water Utilities department has temporarily halted all disconnections of water service.
• Atmos Energy has temporarily suspended natural gas disconnections to assist with the difficulties that come with the coronavirus outbreak.

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Preventive measures

To avoid contracting COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water aren’t available.

The CDC also recommends that you avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid being in close contact with those who are sick.