To limit exposure and spread of COVID-19, Judge Hidalgo and Mayor Turner declared a Stay Home/Work Safe order for residents of Harris County and the City of Houston starting at 11:59 pm, March 24, 2020 through May 20, 2020.
Although the state of Texas has begun to "reopen" in a phased approach, the following will be in place until further notice:
- All staff, unless responsible for essential services, will be working remotely and are accessible by email, text and mobile phone
- Interactions with contractors, consultants and vendors and all project meetings will be via video and/or teleconferencing only
- All Downtown District produced and/or sponsored events are cancelled through the end of June and will be streamed online or rescheduled for the fall
- Due to actions taken by Governor Abbott related to open meetings to maintain government transparency, board of directors’ meetings and board committee meetings will be virtual and/or teleconferencing, as needed, and will continue to be open to the public
Essential public space services provided by our entities will continue, including:
Public Safety
- Off-duty HPD contractors
- S.E.A.L. private security
- Downtown Safety Guide patrol
Cleaning & Maintenance
- Trash removal from receptacles
- Curbside Trash Program
- Sidewalk/bus stop cleaning of hotspots as needed
- Market Square Park cleaning and maintenance
- Tree watering (for non-irrigated areas)
- Mowing and trimming
Homeless Services
- Twice weekly cleaning of Chartres and Hamilton encampments (contingent on HPD support)
- Maintain portacan and handwash stations at current frequencies
Streetscape General Conditions
- Observation of streescape fixtures and maintenance or repairs as needed: lights, banners, planters, irrigation, trees, etc.
Construction Work
- Bagby Street Improvement Project continues under essential critical infrastructure (at a minimum, barricades, signage, etc. to be maintained)
Greenlink
- Service is suspended as of Tuesday, March 24
We will continue to keep you informed; if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Just a reminder, a link to available resources can be found on our Central Houston and Downtown Houston websites.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit www.houstonemergency.org/covid19 and www.readyharris.org or contact the Houston Health Department’s call center at 832-393-4220.
