Billboards donated by Lamar Advertising in Corpus Christi promote healthy messages and suggestions for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni showed examples of the billboards at the city’s daily news briefing March 26.
Both Gulf and bay beaches in Corpus Christi will close each evening at 8 p.m., announced City Manager Peter Zanoni at the city’s daily coronavirus update. The curfew goes into effect on Friday, March 27, after the Nueces County stay-at-home order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 26.
“Access to our beaches will continue to be monitored by the police department to be sure no vehicles are parked within 100 feet of each other,” Zanoni said.
Port Aransas is closing its beaches to all but exercise. Port A police were busy Thursday notifying all campers that they would have to be gone by the end of the day.
Zanoni also announced that, as of today, the city’s six libraries, which have been closed, will begin providing curbside service from 2-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Residents with a library card can check out reading or electronic material by phone or over the internet and then drive to the library to pick up their items each day after 2 p.m. (See library contact information at end of this story.)
Lamar Advertising was thanked for donating several billboards in town to deliver safe health messages related to COVID-19. Zanoni also reported on the eight firefighters who are now in quarantine after being exposed to a patient who tested positive for the virus.
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales then spoke, announcing that a hotline for questions about the stay-at-home order will go into service Friday morning.
“We have received so many questions about the order,” she said, adding that many were about which businesses were considered essential and could keep employees working.
While the order listed a variety of business that were exempt from the order, many more qualify.
“As a business owner, ask yourself, is this a business that services any of these essential businesses (on the list)? If you are, you are exempt from this order. If it’s not 100 percent clear to you, give us a call.”
Until the hotline is set up, Canales offered up the county attorney’s number at 361-888-0381, just for Thursday, March 26.
She stressed the importance of understanding the spirit of the order rather than worrying about enforcement.
“This is an order for public health and safety,” she said. “We want to protect people. We want to save lives. There is not going to be a mad dash to arrest people or stop people to ask them what they are doing on the street.”
The police department and sheriff’s office will enforce blatant disregard of the law and reckless behavior.
“Stay home, stay healthy, and stay safe,” she said.
The drive-through testing center was open today, testing 39 pre-screened patients with possible symptoms. The city is releasing the daily number of cases on its website each day at 4:30 p.m.
If you think you have the coronavirus, please contact the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District at 361-826-7200, and a representative will give you instructions. Check the city’s webpage for more information.
LA RETAMA CENTRAL LIBRARY
805 Comanche, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
(361) 826-7055
DR. CLOTILDE P. GARCIA PUBLIC LIBRARY
5930 Brockhampton, Corpus Christi, TX 78414
(361) 826-2360
BEN F. MCDONALD PUBLIC LIBRARY
4044 Greenwood Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78416
(361) 826-2356
JANET F. HARTE PUBLIC LIBRARY
2629 Waldron Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78418
ANITA & W.T. NEYLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
1230 Carmel Parkway, Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 826-2370
OWEN R. HOPKINS PUBLIC LIBRARY
3202 McKinzie Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78410
