City of Taylor cancels 4th of July events, prohibits large gatherings

TAYLOR, Texas - The City of Taylor will be canceling all of its 4th of July events and will prohibit large gatherings in the city until further notice.

Mayor Brandt Rydell will issue an executive order canceling several upcoming events in the city, including the planned Independence Day vehicle parade and fireworks display. The mayor will also order the prohibition of all large gatherings and require safety measures for any smaller gatherings in public spaces in the city until further notice.

According to the city, the order will go into effect at midnight on June 27. Additionally, all parks and open spaces in public parks will be closed on July 4 and 5. The parks will reopen on Monday, July 6 at 4 a.m.

The city says the decision was made in response to the rapidly rising case counts of COVID-19 in Williamson County and the City of Taylor.

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Taylor holds off on reopening certain public facilities as county sees spike in COVID-19 cases

It’s not just public facilities impacted. After talking with county health leaders, the city has changed the way they celebrate upcoming holidays.

“In many ways, this was a difficult decision because we know that everyone wants to celebrate Independence Day the way we always have—by gathering in public places with a lot of people—and it will be disappointing to not to celebrate that way this year,” said Mayor Rydell. “But when health experts tell us that COVID-19 is spreading in our community, and the best way to protect people from the virus is to minimize contact with other people, the decision is easy: we have to do what is best for the health and safety of our community. And right now, that means canceling large gatherings and doing everything we can to encourage people to practice social distancing.”

The order came after a presentation from the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) about a major increase in COVID-19 cases in the county.

"WCCHD reports that public gatherings are particularly concerning, as the more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, allowing further spread of the virus," the city stated.

Find more about the executive order by visiting the City of Taylor's website.

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The order comes as San Marcos plans to shut down it's river and parks on the 25th. In the town of Burnet, where the spike in COVID cases is not as large, the approach is a little different.

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