The city government already announced Austin’s parks and trails will be closed April 9-12 to mitigate potential gatherings over the holiday weekend, typically a busy time for the city’s outdoor amenities.
At the April 8 press conference, Adler discussed new modeling from The University of Texas that showed positive results from social distancing measures. However, the mayor said he was still concerned about how many people were using the city’s parks and trails and said he is considering shutting down the trails beyond the holiday weekend.
Adler said maintaining social distancing is crucial to keeping the health care system from being overwhelmed. The city's stay-at-home order is enforceable through penalties of up $1,000 and six months in jail. However, Adler said the city will not be able to enforce its way into the compliance it needs, and Austinites need to enter into an agreement among themselves to maintain social distancing and follow the stay-at-home orders.
Editor's Note: This article's headline has been updated.
