Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell signed new orders April 21 to ensure consistency between the Williamson County "Stay Home Stay Safe Order" and the the State of Texas Executive Orders Gov. Greg Abbott announced April 17, according to a news release.

The Williamson County order was issued March 24 and closed non-essential businesses as well as limited gatherings to less than 10 people. Effective 11:59 p.m. April 21, the “healthcare operations” portion of the order was amended to allow surgeries and procedures to occur under specific conditions, such as hospitals reserving at least 25% of their capacity for the treatment of novel coronavirus patients, the release said. In addition, the facility cannot request any personal protective equipment from any public source for the duration of the pandemic, it said.

Effective 12:01 a.m. April 24, the order will be amended to allow retail businesses not defined as essential businesses to operate in limited capacity, the release said. These retail establishments can operate if services can be provided through pickup, delivery by mail or delivery to the customer’s doorstep. In addition, they must operate in compliance with terms required by the Texas Department of State Health Services, it said.

The Williamson County current "Stay Home Stay Safe" order is in effect until April 30.