The cities of Amarillo and Canyon issued a joint press release Thursday announcing that gatherings of 10 or more people will not be allowed until further notice. In addition, area gyms must close, and local restaurants will not be allowed to offer dine-in options.
According to an email from the City of Amarillo, the move by Amarillo and Canyon came in response to Gov. Greg Abbot's executive order issued Thursday that temporarily closes schools, bars and gyms – and limits restaurant service to takeout and delivery orders only, amid COVID-19 concerns.
Abbott's order, which goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, lasts until April 3. It also limits gatherings to 10 people.
Amarillo officials also noted that all on-street paid parking will be suspended for the time being, allowing residents to come and go more quickly and easily.
Many local restaurants, gyms, and retail outlets have struggled to pay employees during the health crisis. Meanwhile, small business owners continue to closely monitor national, statewide and local developments.
“We’re trying to adjust procedures as quickly as needed,” Patrick Burns told HPPR on Thursday evening.
Burns, who owns Palace Coffee -- with locations in both Amarillo and Canyon -- says his company has increased its cleaning practices.
“We’re serving everything in to-go containers, and we have now progressed to closing down our seating areas and serving takeaway only, in compliance with the executive order," he said.
In the meantime, the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce is compiling a list of restaurants that are offering alternative service options, including delivery and curbside pickup. That list will be soon be sent out widely and frequently throughout the Amarillo and Canyon areas.
If you would like to add your business to the list, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at (806) 373-7800 or chamber@amarillo-chamber.org.
Services like DoorDash, Karma Services and GrubHub continue to offer food delivery in Amarillo.
“Our main concerns is simply the health and wellbeing of our guests and staff,” Burns said. “We’re trying to make the best decisions financially so our staff can weather this crisis for however long it goes on.”
