Austin, Travis County to issue a stay-at-home order Tuesday

The photographer waited during rush hour for one lonely car to enter the frame on Austin's MoPac Expressway, which was almost completely empty amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Jordan Vonderhaar

The Austin City Council and Travis County will team up on Tuesday to issue a stay-at-home order, the latest local crackdown to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, Austin Mayor Steve Adler told The Texas Tribune on Monday.

Recommended Videos



The restrictions, the details of which have not been disclosed, “will contain the best of the various such orders around the [country] to create our own ‘stay home work safe’ order," Adler said.

The order would likely represent one of the most stringent measures local officials have taken so far to address the colossal public health crisis. Gov. Greg Abbott has resisted issuing a statewide order, but said he supported local jurisdictions issuing such orders if the circumstances warrant them.

On Sunday evening, Dallas County became the first to order a shelter-in-place, ordering all residents to stay at home if they were not doing certain essential activities. The city of Waco issued a similar directive on Monday.