BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Update: Businesses in the Brazos Valley are changing due to new ordinances put in place to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Below are updates to businesses, we will update as we receive more information.
Frost Bank
The lobbies at its financial centers around Texas will temporarily close at the end of the business day on Friday, March 20. The motor banks around Texas will be fully staffed and will offer expanded services during their usual business hours for the duration of the lobby shutdowns. In addition, customers always have the option of banking online at frostbank.com, via the Frost app, at any of the bank’s network of 1,200 ATMs around the state, or over the phone at (800) 513-7678.
Previous story March 18, 2020
Effective at 9 p.m. all bars and restaurant dining rooms in Bryan and College Station will be ordered to close to further reduce the possibility of exposure to COVID-19, according to both local governments. Restaurants may still provide take-out, drive-thru, delivery and curbside pickup service under this order.
Public gatherings of more than 10 people are now prohibited, per guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the declarations of disasters enacted locally on Tuesday.
These orders will remain in effect as long as there remains a declaration of disaster in the two cities.
The additional restrictions were agreed upon Wednesday by leadership in both cities after consulting the Brazos County Health District and the Bryan-College Station Independent Restaurant Group, which represents dozens of local restaurants that employ more than 1,000 workers.
“The best way to protect the residents of Brazos County from COVID-19 is for restaurants to make these changes to their business model because they align with guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by the Texas Department of State Health Services," said Bob Lamkin, environmental health manager for the Brazos County Health District. “In addition, bars, gyms, and other entertainment venues should also close at this time.”
College Station mayor, Karl Mooney, expressed that the local government is looking into different options at this time.
"We understand that these actions are painful to our business community, but we also know these actions work to help prevent the spread of this virus," said Mooney. "Along with our partners in the community, we will be exploring all options for helping these businesses weather this unprecedented event."
Bryan mayor, Andrew Nelson, said he is working to keep the most vulnerable in the community safe.
“The cities of Bryan and College Station are working together to do everything we can to keep our most vulnerable populations protected,” said Nelson. “Until health officials say it is safe to do so, we will not consider lifting these restrictions. Until then, we encourage everyone to support the small businesses in our community as we work to create opportunities to assist the businesses through this difficult situation.”
Kristy Petty, a representative of the BCS Independent Restaurant Group said they are committed to ensuring at all food service employees are healthy and following all government regulations.
"As ambassadors of the culinary culture of Bryan-College Station, it’s our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for all residents," said Petty. "That includes our patrons and our staff. We understand that closing down the dining rooms is a prudent move to ensure that we can provide the safest kitchens to bring you food during this time. All members of our group are committing to follow the government regulations handed down, we will make sure our employees are asymptomatic when they come to work and will continue superior sanitization practices. We believe we will all get through this together."
A way to support local restaurants at this time is to order takeout or go through the drive-thru. Experience Bryan College Station has put together a list of what restaurants are offering now.