Breckenridge Texan

At least one church has moved their service to online only for a couple of weeks and one business will have new hours as part of efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease. There are no known cases of the disease in Breckenridge or Stephens County, but Texas has several dozen cases identified so far.

First United Methodist Church of Breckenridge has canceled its public worship service for today, March 15, and next Sunday, March 22, but Pastor Matt Hall will present his message live on Facebook at 11 a.m. today. In a Facebook post Saturday evening, Pastor Matt Hall wrote, “A few hours ago I received an update from our Conference office. The Bishop is encouraging all churches to suspend service for now. After speaking with Terry Langford, Jerry Toland and Tim Byerly, we will not have any worship services for the next 2 weeks. (March 15 and March 22). All evening activities have been cancelled as well. We will reevaluate at that time if we need to extend the suspension or not. Call and contact as many as possible tonight and be safe during this uncertain time.”

Also on Saturday, the Breckenridge Walmart announced new, temporary hours of operation — 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. — in accordance with the rest of the company’s stores.

In a written statement, Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said:

“I could not be prouder of our associates and what they continue to accomplish for our customers. I don’t think any of us have been through an experience like this, and we continue to be amazed at what our people, whether in the stores or in the supply chain, are doing to make sure customers have what they need. To better support our associates and serve our customers, we will adjust our operating hours beginning Sunday, March 15. Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice. This will help ensure associates are able to stock the products our customers are looking for and to perform cleaning and sanitizing.”

Additionally, all UIL events, including athletic, academic and other events, have been suspended through March 29.

Last week, the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, led to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a state of disaster for Texas, President Donald Trump issued a national emergency declaration, and World Health Organization Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 is now characterized as a pandemic.

Worldwide, the reported number of cases of the coronavirus disease is more than 152,000 with more than 5,000 deaths. In the United States, the New York Times reports, more than 2,800 cases have been identified with at least 59 deaths. On Saturday, the Texas Tribune reported that there are at least 63 known cases of coronavirus disease in Texas. There are no known cases in Breckenridge or Stephens County.

For more information about local reactions to the coronavirus situation, click here.

The Breckenridge Texan will keep you updated.