As of March 20th, there are 136 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Texas. 51 cases have been found in Dallas and a combined 9 cases have been found in Collin and Denton county of Frisco. Last week students of Memorial High School were enjoying their Spring Break before the floods of emails from teachers and the principal gave the announcement that school would be closing. Parents who can, have been asked to work from home. During this week, Frisco has become a ghost town.

Schools, places of work, and stores have been closed to prevent the spread of the contagious coronavirus. Driving down Preston on a Monday around 5 o’clock means traffic. Driving to the Stonebriar mall on a Saturday usually means no parking close to the front entrance. Walking into Walmart and picking up rolls of toilet paper and checking out was a normal thing. Streets have become empty as people begin self quarantining, the mall has closed in light of the danger large crowds could cause, and toilet papers are gone from store shelves as people begin to stock up. In light of recent events, normal activities are no longer normal.

The City of Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney declared a local state of disaster for public health emergencies. Order no. 2  involved avoiding eating and drinking in restaurants and food courts, the use of drive-thru and pickup is encouraged. Order no. 4 was that schools shall temporarily close which led Frisco ISD extending suspension of all in-person classes through April 3rd. 

So far, mandatory quarantine has not taken place over the city of Frisco and Dallas. The people of Frisco and all over the country have taken it upon themselves to self quarantine in hopes to keep from getting the virus and prevent spreading it. All of us should be taking precaution at this rapidly growing pandemic. Stay safe, stay indoors, and wash your hands.