Updated at 5:51 p.m. March 31

Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta extended the county's "Stay Safe at Home" order through April 30. According to a press release sent out by the county, this is due to the rise in coronavirus cases and the governor's executive order extension, announced earlier today.

Published at 4:48 p.m. March 25

Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta announced during a press conference on March 25 that the county will issue a "Stay Safe at Home" order. The order will take effect at 6 p.m., March 26 and will last until 11:59 p.m., April 3.

"This action is not taken lightly," Sebesta said.


The order is meant to help health care workers manage the caseload of patients, help manufacturers increase vital supplies and help citizens slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Sebesta stressed that the order does not keep people from getting groceries, visiting elderly family members or exercising outdoors, so long as people do this responsibly and not in a group, Sebesta said.

The order also closes businesses that are nonessential during a time of medical emergency, Sebesta said. These include, but are not limited to: hair and nail salons, massage parlors, hotel conference and ball rooms, gyms, bowling alleys and tattoo parlors.

The county is also asking that essential businesses curb the spread of the virus as well, namely by not allowing large numbers of employees to congregate in breakrooms or meeting spaces.


"Please come together as we have over the last five years as we have faced flooding and Hurricane Harvey. I am going to ask you at this point of time to all come together to help stop the spread of COVID-19, so that we can get together as quickly as possible," Sebesta said.