Texas COVID19 Updates & Financial Resources
Fort Worth City Council Issues Disaster Resolution
The Fort Worth City Council issued a resolution that continues Fort Worth’s state of disaster past April 30, 2020 to align with Governor Abbot’s Open Texas Plan. For more details, go to the City’s COVID-19 website at https://fortworthtexas.gov/COVID-19/
The Governor Issued three Executive Orders.
GA-18: Relating to the expanded reopening of services as part of the safe, strategic plan to Open Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster.
GA-19: Relating to hospital capacity during the COVID-19 disaster.
GA-20: Relating to expanding travel without restrictions as part of the safe, strategic plan to Open Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster.
In Phase I, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls will be permitted to reopen on May 1st. These services must limit their capacity to 25% of their listed occupancy. However, for counties with five or fewer laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Governor’s order allows for increased occupancy protocols up to 50% for these particular businesses. Museums, libraries, outdoor sports, and single-person offices will all be allowed to resume with specific restrictions and varied social distancing practices enforced. Places of worship will remain open, and specific local government operations may reopen as determined by the local government. Businesses deemed essential by the Governor’s previous orders or by federal guidelines can continue to operate; however, certain entities such as public swimming pools, bars, gyms, cosmetology salons, massage establishments, interactive amusement venues, and tattoo and piercing studios will remain closed through Phase I.
Fort Worth Business Resiliency Microloan Program
The City of Fort Worth is teaming up with PeopleFund to launch the Business Resiliency Microloan Program, which is prepared to provide at least $850,000 to eligible businesses in Fort Worth who are being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll or accounts payable, or cover other bills that can’t be paid due to the pandemic. For more information about this program, click on
Click on the image to see the flyer from the City of Fort Worth.
Utility Consumer Protections & Texas COVID-19 Electricity Relief Program (CERP)
On March 26, 2020, the Public Utility Commission of Texas issued an order providing relief and consumer protections to water, sewer, and electric utility customers in Texas. The order requires utilities to offer a deferred payment plan to customers and limits the ability of utilities to charge late fees, interest on deferred payments, or to disconnect service for non-payment of bills during the current coronavirus state of emergency.
The COVID-19 Electricity Relief Program temporarily keeps Retail Electric Providers in the parts of Texas open to customer choice from disconnecting electricity for customers who can’t pay their whole bill because of serious financial troubles caused by COVID-19. If you or someone in your household currently receive or are in the process of applying to receive unemployment benefits you may apply here. To apply online, https://www.txcovid19erp.org/
Click on the image to see the flyer from Texas Representative Nicole Collier.
#END#
