Pharr Launches Business Impact Survey to Measure Impact of COVID-19 on Local Economy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020
Pharr, Texas – The City of Pharr in collaboration with the Pharr EDC and the Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce announced that they have launched a Business Impact Survey to measure the impact of COVID-19 on local businesses and the community.
“Our local businesses are the lifeline of our economy, and we rely on our local business community to provide us with goods, services, entertainment, and products that fulfill our needs, feed our families, and enhance our livelihood,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “Many of our local businesses are suffering right now due to COVID-19 and although many have adapted to implement the current orders and social distancing initiatives, there are still many who have had to completely shut down their operations or switch to online or other delivery methods,” Hernandez continued. “Through this survey, we hope to gauge the needs of our community so that we can work together to assess the impact, prepare for recovery, and plan for the future,” he added.
The online survey has been sent to local businesses to ensure that the city has an accurate reflection of how businesses are coping, how hard they have been impacted if they have the means to recover and continue operations and to measure others issues that have come up as a result of adjusting business operations.
“Pharr has been proactive since the start of COVID-19, and we have been working closely with our local, state, and federal legislators on all levels, including keeping our local businesses informed of any economic assistance that may be available,” stated Victor Perez, Pharr EDC Executive Director. “This is an especially tough situation for many businesses as they have had to change their normal operations, while also tending to the personal and financial impact caused to their employees and business,” he added. “As we continue to gather information from our local business leaders, we will be analyzing information and data collected to help guide future policy decisions and relief efforts,” said Perez. City officials are doing all they can to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the community and urge Pharr residents and businesses to heed the guidance of federal, state, and local authorities to continue practice social distancing as we all work to stop the spread of the coronavirus.”Pharr is a resilient community and we want our residents and businesses to know that we are all in this together, and we will get through this together,” added Mayor Hernandez. “We will continue to fight this invisible enemy, while also continuing to fight for more resources, funding, and assistance to ensure that our community remains safe and that our local businesses and economy will continue to thrive,” he said.
The City of Pharr will use data collected from the survey to analyze the impacts on the local economy and to continue advocating for more assistance to help local businesses get back to business.
Pharr Approves New Emergency Order, Implements Work Safe Plan; Pharr Set to Receive Federal Funding to Fight COVID-19
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
Pharr, Texas – As the City of Pharr and the entire South Texas region continues to be increasingly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), city officials will continue to provide updates to keep our residents and the public informed as information develops.
Pharr Approves New Emergency Order, Implements Work Safe Plan
On Thursday, April 2, 2020, Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. issued an updated Order to align with the new guidelines and emergency orders issued by President Donald J. Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez, which defined the continuity of essential services and activities during the COVID-19 disaster and aimed to limit the spread of the disease.
Pharr’s Order No. 2020-01 defines further measures to be implemented to reduce the substantial risk of harm to the public and requires that all essential businesses and organizations defined as critical to the nation’s infrastructure submit a Work Safe Plan, which outlines plans for implementing and enforcing distancing, sanitation, and hygiene practices, to the City of Pharr.
This Order is effective as of 11:59 pm on Friday, April 3, 2020, and shall remain in effect until the state of disaster is terminated or the Order is otherwise terminated by the City Commission.
“Since we now have cases involving Pharr residents, it is imperative that we all continue doing what we can to prevent the spread of the disease, which is extremely contagious,” said Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “It is our individual responsibility to care for our community and keep it as safe and healthy as possible,” he continued.
The Order further mandates that all individuals who are ill, especially those with symptoms consistent with influenza or COVID-19, shall isolate themselves at home until they recover. An entire household is ordered to self-quarantine at home for a period of no less than two weeks if anyone in a household tests positive for COVID-19 or anyone in the household has had contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The Order further states that people who are known to have or are under investigation or monitoring for COVID-19 must abide by the Control Orders and direction provided to them by authorities, including state and local public health officials.
Pharr Set to Receive Federal Funding to Fight COVID-19
Pharr, Texas – City of Pharr leaders were pleased to learn from U. S. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) that $10,383,884 in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was approved for District 15 for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) for the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Pharr’s award is approximately $665,558 in CDBG funding, which can be used for areas of infrastructure, economic development, and medical supplies and equipment, among other eligible activities.
“As we continue to navigate the current situation and plan for the future, we are extremely proud that our federal partners are listening to the needs of our community and fighting to support our efforts to help our response to COVID-19,” said Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. “The City of Pharr applauds the actions taken by Congress and especially the efforts and dedication of Congressman Gonzalez as he continues to work with local leaders to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens, businesses, and communities,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. he added.
The highly anticipated news comes just a few days after Congress passed legislative relief for Americans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I will continue to keep the pressure on to ensure that our district receives the funds it needs during this time of crisis,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “This funding is a vital step for cities and counties to prepare for and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work around-the-clock for the frontline medical professionals, hospitals, and our community.”
From the onset of this pandemic, the City of Pharr has taken proactive measures to prepare the community. From the implementation of the Emergency Disaster Declaration to working with Homeland Security partners to secure our southern border at the Pharr International Bridge by pre-screening to prevent any high-risk individuals from entering our city or placing them in self-quarantine, city officials have worked closely with federal, state, county, and municipal leaders to mitigate the spread and minimize the impact of COVID-19 in our community.
“We are fortunate to have great partnerships and communication with our leaders at the regional, state, and federal level as we all work together to fight this invisible enemy,” Hernandez continued. “This much-needed funding will help us battle the pandemic and support our community, our healthcare system, and our economy as we continue to face growing numbers every day,” he said. “I am proud of the leadership of Congressman Gonzalez, Senator Cornyn, and Senator Cruz who have worked diligently over the years to ensure that the City of Pharr and our citizens have the resources, funding, and assistance to continue thriving,” he added.
