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Waco City Council extends disaster declaration to April 21

The Waco City Council voted to extend the local state of disaster declaration in a special meeting Tuesday morning.

WACO, Texas — Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said after consulting with McLennan County healthcare leaders and seeing the ongoing spread of COVID-19  it became clear the city needed to extend the local state of disaster declaration.

The Waco City Council passed the motion unanimously.

Deaver initially put the order in place on March 17 to last through April 6.

It effectively shutdown restaurants that don't provide takeout or drive-thru, bars, movie theaters and gyms.

Deaver said Waco was two weeks behind the curve in New York which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

Deaver said, near the end of the council meeting, he had received word that the first person to die of complications due to COVID-19 had been reported in McLennan County.

The Waco Independent School District later confirmed the patient was G.W. Carver Middle School Principal Phillip Perry.

As of Monday in McLennan County, 39 people had tested positive. Six people had recovered and seven were in the hospital with four of those in critical condition.

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McLennan County commissioners also voted to extend the disaster declaration to the 21st Tuesday.

Deaver said the council will examine the situation again and that he fully expected to extend it again.

The city council also voted to postpone the May 2 election to Nov. 3.

Deaver said Nov. was the only available date but they would seek to find an earlier date.

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