The city of Waco announced Friday night: “The mayor and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District strongly recommend canceling, rescheduling or not attending events with more than 250 persons; urge organizations that serve high-risk populations to cancel gatherings of more than 10 people; and additionally urge people to not attend non-essential gatherings in order to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” the press release states. “These recommendations are based on the social distancing practices recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
As of Sunday morning, the Texas Department of State Health Services had reported 56 cases across 17 Texas counties. As of Friday morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 1,629 cases and 41 deaths. No cases have been reported in McLennan County, according to the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.
Efforts to limit exposure to the coronavirus have led to the cancellation or postponement of several events, concerts and other gatherings in the Waco area.
- All H-E-B stores have shortened their hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until further notice. > Read more
- All Brookshire’s stores have shortened their hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until further notice. > Read more
- All Walmart stores have shortened their hours to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. until further notice. > Read more
- Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center will screen hospital visitors with a questionnaire and limit two visitors per patient. > Read more
- McLennan Community College, Texas Tech at Waco and Tarleton State University at Waco are extending spring break for a week. MCC and Texas Tech at Waco classes will resume March 23 in online-only format for the rest of the spring semester. Public events and other large gatherings this semester presently canceled, but may be rescheduled.
- Texas State Technical College is extending spring break for two weeks, with in-person classes resuming March 30. Online classes will continue as normal.
- Baylor University has extended its spring break by a week. Classes will resume in online-only formats March 23 and remain online-only through April 3.
- The Baylor University School of Music has canceled all public events through April 3. Baylor University’s Martin Museum of Art will close until April 6.
- A Skywarn class on severe weather awareness scheduled for Monday, March 16 has been canceled. It will be rescheduled for the late summer or fall.
- Veterans One Stop has postponed its Wednesday meals until further notice. Baylor’s free legal clinic for veterans scheduled for March 20 at the Veterans One Stop has been canceled. Veterans with scheduled appointments will be contacted individually to reschedule.
- YMCA’s LiveStrong Color Run 5K, scheduled for March 28, has been postponed to June 6.
- Richland Mall has canceled its events, including its Easter Bunny photo program, until further notice.
- Waco Rotary Club has canceled its meetings for March 16 and March 23.
- The 2020 Bearathon half-marathon race, scheduled for March 21, has been canceled.
- Hewitt Public Library has canceled its Family Place parent-child workshops for the spring and postponed the March 21 Hop Into Hewitt Spring Event. All other programs, events, meetings and outreach activities also are on hold.
- Heart of Texas Sertoma Club’s Kite Festival set for May 2 is canceled.
- The Art Center of Waco’s Table Toppers fundraiser has been rescheduled to Aug. 27.
School districts
- School districts planning to return to classes March 30 include Waco ISD, Midway ISD, Connally ISD, La Vega ISD, Lorena ISD, McGregor ISD, Robinson ISD and West ISD.
- School districts planning to return to classes March 23 include Axtell ISD, Bosqueville ISD, China Spring ISD, Crawford ISD, Bruceville-Eddy ISD, Gholson ISD, Hallsburg ISD, Marlin ISD, Mart ISD, Moody ISD, Oglesby ISD, Riesel ISD, Rosebud-Lott ISD and Valley Mills ISD. Private and charter schools including Rapoport Academy, Live Oak Classical School, Vanguard College Preparatory School and Bishop Louis Reicher will also plan to delay classes by a week.
Local attractions closed through March 29
- Waco-McLennan County Library system
- Cameron Park Zoo
- Dr Pepper Museum (reopening TBA)
- Mayborn Museum
- Martin Museum of Art
- Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum
- Lake Waco Wetlands
- All Historic Waco Foundation houses
- Waco Convention Center
- Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Community centers
- Senior centers
- YMCA of Central Texas
Concerts and other entertainment events
- The Waco Symphony Orchestra has postponed its March 21 concert until May 8; all tickets will be honored. No changes are planned for the WSO’s April 16 concert featuring America.
- Common Grounds concerts by Colony House (March 28) and Audrey Assad (March 29) have also been canceled or postponed.
- Carden International Circus, slated for Monday, March 16 at the Extraco Events Center, has been canceled.
- Baylor Theatre’s productions of “Enjoy” (March 26-29) and “Hay Fever” (April 28-May 3) have been cancelled and not rescheduled.
- McLennan Theatre’s productions of “Tinker of Tivoli” (April 2-4) and “Silent Sky” (April 23-26) have been canceled, but may be rescheduled.
- Christian Youth Theater Waco’s production of “Peter Pan: A New Musical” has been rescheduled for April 23-26 at the Lee Lockwood Library and Museum.
- The Waco Jazz Orchestra concert at the Waco Hippodrome has been postponed to May 9. Tickets will be honored, but those wanting refunds can contact the Hippodrome at hippoboxoffice@gmail.com.
Sports
- The University Interscholastic League (UIL) has suspended all competitions in athletics, music and academics through March 29. Decisions on rehearsals and practices are up to each local school district. Also canceled are the cross-X debate state tournament and the state robotics challenge.
- The Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association State Meet, which was scheduled for March 20-21 at the Extraco Events Center, has been postponed and moved to April 17-18 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi.
- McLennan Community College is postponing all athletics events through April 3, per the NJCAA, the governing body for junior college athletics. That includes a Family Fun Day slated for March 28 at Bosque River Ballpark.
- The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS), in which most Waco private schools participate, has suspended all athletics events through April 12.
- All District 9 Little League organizations are following the recommendation of Little League International and suspending operations until April 6.
- All Baylor University athletics events have been canceled through the end of the school year. Meetings and practices are suspended through March 29.
Houses of worship
- Antioch Community Church members will not meet for Sunday morning worship or Wednesday college and youth services for the next two weeks. Morning services at 9 and 11 a.m. still will be streamed online.
- Calvary Baptist Church will not meet for Sunday morning worship or youth group, small group or Wednesday night activities next week. A Facebook live video will be streamed at 11 a.m. Sunday.
- Columbus Avenue Baptist Church has canceled all services and activities through March 26. A live video stream will be offered at cabcwaco.org.
- First Baptist Woodway has canceled all services and activities through March 27. A live video stream will be offered at firstwoodway.org.
- First Baptist Church of Waco has canceled its Sunday service, Sunday school and other activities. A live video stream of Sunday worship will be offered on Facebook.
- Temple Rodef Sholom will be streaming services until further notice.
- Seventh & James Baptist Church has canceled its Sunday services and all church activities for the next two weeks.
- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, including the school, has canceled its Sunday services and all events for the next two weeks. Daily prayers will be livestreamed at missionstclare.com.
- St. Alban’s Episcopal Church has canceled has canceled its Sunday services and all events for the next two weeks. Services and prayers will be offered via a Facebook video stream.
- The Islamic Center of Waco has suspended its weekly Jummah Prayer until further notice.
- Holy Spirit Episcopal Church has suspended all programming and events until April 5. Services at 8 and 10:30 a.m. each Sunday will be live-streamed and available for viewing through the week via Facebook. Updates will be available at holyspiritwaco.com/covid19.
- Speegleville Baptist Church has canceled its Sunday service this week and Wednesday night activities through March 25.
- Viento Fuerte Church will be closed Sunday but will live stream its service at 11 a.m.
- Connect Church will only be live-streaming for the next two weeks. Its 10:30 a.m. services will be streamed on its Facebook page and at connectwaco.com.
— WACOTRIB
