‘There's a Lot of Confusion:' McKinney Mayor on Stay-Home Order Issued in Collin County

This week, Dallas County led the way with strict orders for residents to stay home.

Tarrant County and Fort Worth added similar orders Tuesday.

But Collin County is not shutting down businesses, and some cities say a new order doesn’t go far enough.

Now, those cities are taking their own action.

McKinney’s city council met Tuesday to extend the city’s current disaster declaration and consider adding new provisions.

“We want to take steps and actions to smash the COVID-19 curve,” McKinney Mayor George Fuller said.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Collin County Judge Chris Hill announced a “Stay Home, Work Safe” order. The order states, “All persons in Collin County are hereby ordered to stay home except for travel related to essential activities. Entertainment activities are not considered essential activities.”

But he said all businesses can remain open.

"We've taken the approach that all business is essential and may operate as long as they can operate according to the guidelines we've prescribed,” Hill said.

The order created confusion among Collin County residents and city leaders.

Hours later, McKinney's city council was back at the drawing board saying the county order doesn't go far enough.

“That press conference was useless in my mind because it didn't have an end, it didn't have an action,” said councilman Frederick Frazier.

McKinney is now considering a revised order that resembles Dallas County's, where only essential businesses remain open.

It could go a step further by requiring businesses that stay open to have hand sanitizing stations at entrances, and provisions for construction and health care workers to continue operations.

City leaders plan to vote on a new ordinance Wednesday.

In Frisco, the city announced Tuesday afternoon non-essential businesses will be shut down.

Officials adopted Denton County's shelter-in-place order since the city straddles both county lines.

In Plano, the mayor said in a statement, “In the weeks to come, collectively, we may have to be more stringent in how we function daily in order for us to get to a better place."

“Other cities have said we're good where we're at,” Hill told NBC 5 Tuesday night.

Hill said allowing cities to make decisions based on what is best for them is by design and that they all have his full support.

“I need everyone in Collin County to be using common sense, not just the elected officials,” Hill said.

According to Mayor Fuller, out of 125 test results the county has received, 45 have been positive.