The city of West University Place has declared itself under a state of local disaster amid the coronavirus outbreak.
West U, the city of Southside Place and the city of Bellaire have also closed facilities and canceled services for the near future.
West U Mayor Bob Higley signed the declaration March 17, which allows West U to be more responsive to developing issues and requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on combating COVID-19, City Manager Dave Beach said.
“Our local declaration allows us to have more customizable options that fit our community,” Beach said. “It allows the city to be more nimble and responsive to the daily changing requirements.”
Before the local declaration was made, West U was covered under a March 16 emergency declaration by Harris County.
The local declaration will last for at least the next seven days and allows the city “to take any actions necessary to promote health and suppress the virus,” according to the signed document. Those could include the quarantining of people and occupied structures, examining and regulating hospitals, establishing quarantine stations, and more.
It also reiterates the CDC-recommended limit of 10 people for gatherings in West U. As a result, City Council will consider an extension of the declaration during its meeting on March 23, which will be held remotely to minimize exposure of residents and employees, according to an announcement on the city’s website.
In the meantime, these are the services, programs and facilities that have been canceled or closed for West U, Southside Place and Bellaire:
