Looks Can Be Deceiving in Victoria's Crowded Parking Lots

Monday city officials came together for an EOM meeting to address a current issue for the Crossroads; the parking lots of businesses and more specifically restaurants look overcrowded.

Calls are coming into both the city, and to the Victoria Fire Department on a regular basis by concerned citizens who worry not all businesses are following the safety guidelines provided by the CDC, and Gov. Abbott's ordinances.

According to the latest ordinance, businesses such as restaurants can now be at 50% capacity in order to operate. The Victoria Fire Department is in charge of both monitoring and issuing citations to businesses that are found to be at overcapacity.

Monday's EOM meeting which included Victoria County Public Health Department Director David Gonzales, Public Health Authority Dr. John McNeill, and Fire Marshal Thomas Legler assured our community that looks can be deceiving.

Fire Marshal Legler offered frankly, “The Taskforce has been proactively inspecting all local restaurants and most other businesses in the community, including following up on complaints. At this time we have not seen any violations of the 50% occupancy rule."

VCPHD Director David Gonzales offers, " You've got to consider that in the parking lots, many of our Victoria drivers are driving with only one person in each vehicle." Still, David advises, "Capacity doesn't mean 'not crowded' and offers that Victorians should use their best judgment if those around them are not practicing social distancing, something David says is left to an individual's best judgment. He also offered that the Victoria County Health Department has caught up on their investigations in regard to COVID patients offering that " COVID case averages are counted on a 7-day basis and in July we were averaging 102 cases, where today, September 12th, there are 12 confirmed cases."

" There are still many unknowns with this disease, but we don't think it's just that COVID has 'run its course' as we've heard some saying. It's Victorian's doing what they need to do to stop the spread." David offers. Now that being said David concludes, " Right now everything is in place for the numbers to increase again," David cautions with a reference to the upcoming holiday weekend and the reopening of Texas as a whole.

"Be cautious and be aware. Practice social distancing. That is KEY," David says.