Page 4 D AILY C OMMERCIAL R ECORD Friday, March 6, 2020 CCAAPPIITTAALL HHIIGGHHLLIIGGHHTTSS TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION AUSTIN — ters, nursing homes, as - Ken Paxton on Feb. 26 ap - State Capital As the sisted living associations plauded a federal district worldwide and health-care facilities court ruling holding that a DART Ready for threat of are prepared and properly 1998 comprehensive settle - novel coro - cared for, Abbott said. ment agreement with R.J. navirus in - Meanwhile, the U.S. Cen - Reynolds Tobacco Com - St. Patrick's Day creased, ters for Disease Control pany and other tobacco HIGHLIGHTS state agen - and Prevention has con - companies stands and the 2020 in Dallas By Ed Sterling cies al - firmed multiple cases of agreed payments to the ready were working COVID-19 in people under state for smoking-related Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is pre- together to ensure the federal quarantine at Joint healthcare costs must be pared to help thousands of North Texas rid- health and safety of all Tex - Base San Antonio-Lack - enforced. ers claiming to be Irish, if only for a day, ans, Gov. Greg Abbott said land. The first was a trav - The U.S District Court for safely attend the largest St. Patrick's Day pa- Feb. 27. eler who returned on a U.S. the Eastern District of rade and events in the Southwest in less than After a briefing from state State Department-char - Texas rejected Reynolds’ two weeks. and federal health officials tered flight from Wuhan argument that selling ac - Parade and festivalgoers, as well as runners on coronavirus (COVID- City, China. The others re - quired brands included in participating in the Dash Down Greenville 19), Abbott provided an turned on a State Depart - the settlement nullified its 5K, can comfortably ride to the 41st Annual update on steps the state ment flight for passengers obligation to Texas taxpay - Dallas St. Patrick's Parade & Festival, Sat. is taking. He said the De - from the Diamond Princess ers, declaring that Mar. 14, when DART adds additional rail partment of State Health cruise ship quarantined in “Reynolds remains as li - service, employee volunteers and law en- Services has activated the Yokohama, Japan. The indi - able today as it was when forcement to meet the large demand. State Medical Operations viduals will remain isolated it entered into the Texas Trip planning is made easy by purchasing a Center to serve as a touch - at medical facilities until Settlement in 1998.” $6 local Day Pass in advance using DART's point for any requests from they test negative for the “I applaud the court for GoPass® mobile ticketing application. It al- local entities. The center virus and are no longer at holding tobacco compa - lows you to buy passes, plan trips and get also ensures consistent risk of spreading it. The nies accountable to the next bus or train times from the comfort of collection, tracking and re - CDC has the latest informa - terms of the settlement to your mobile phone. Download the app for porting of public health ac - tion on the number of peo - which they agreed. Texas free through Google Play or the App Store. tivities and data. ple under quarantine who taxpayers are owed sub - Don't have the app? Purchase a Day Pass Also, DSHS is preparing are infected and is updat - stantial back payments from a ticket vending machine at any DART state laboratories with ing its national numbers and we will not allow any Rail station or from a bus operator. testing capabilities for the each Monday, Wednesday company to shirk their ob - Rail Service novel coronavirus and is and Friday. ligations to the people of From Plano, rail service will be added to updating public health re - New cards being issued this state,” said Paxton. Red and Orange Line trains operating be- sponse plans in the event The Texas Department of “No matter how large the tween 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. to SMU/Mockingbird, of the spread of the virus. Public Safety on Feb. 27 an - company or how long the Lovers Lane or Park Lane stations. Abbott said multi-level and nounced that it is now issu - fight, my office will con - From Carrollton, Farmers Branch and Dallas multi-agency coordination ing redesigned, tinue to fight for the com - customers can ride the Green Line and trans- and communication efforts tamper-resistant Texas dri - pensation that taxpayers fer to either the Orange or Red Line in down- are practiced daily to en - ver's licenses, identifica - are owed.” town Dallas. sure up-to-date informa - tion cards and Vaping case count: 250 Passengers riding the Trinity Railway Ex- tion is flowing between license-to-carry cards. The Department of State press (TRE) can transfer to special event Red federal, state and local The cards have a new Health Services on Feb. 25 and Orange line trains at Victory Station. partners. look with an updated de - reported some 250 Texas Red and Orange Line trains to Lovers Lane Furthermore, DSHS is co - sign and enhanced secu - cases of severe lung dis - Station will not be interrupted during the pa- ordinating with the Texas rity features. The driver's ease in people who used e- rade. Department of Emergency license and ID cards also cigarettes before Bus Service Management, Texas Hospi - have visible and discrete developing symptoms. If you normally ride Route 502 or 583 at tal Association, Texas Med - identifiers on the front. Four of them have died. Lovers Lane Station, service will be inter- ical Association and state The DPS said that previ - Patients range in age from rupted until the Dash Down Greenville 5K university systems to pro - ously issued driver's li - 13 to 75 years old with a has been completed. vide educational materials censes are still valid until median age of 22 years. Both routes will be detoured from Lovers and the latest develop - the expiration date listed About one-quarter of the Lane Station to serve SMU/Mockingbird Sta- ments in research and on the card and, beginning people affected in Texas tion until Greenville is re-opened to traffic. treatment methods for the Oct. 1, travelers will need a are minors. Three-quarters Route 502 will continue to serve Park Lane virus. valid passport, U.S. mili - are male and nine in 10 re - Station. And, relevant agencies tary ID or a REAL ID com - port vaping THC or mari - Additional routes temporarily detoured will implement disinfecting pliant driver's license (one juana possibly in during the parade include 81, 82, 84 and 521. measures at places such as with the gold star) to travel conjunction with other See DART.org/rideralerts for more informa- driver license offices and on commercial airlines or substances. Almost all pa - tion. schools and ensure that enter federal facilities. tients were hospitalized For more details go to DART.org/SPD or call high-risk populations such Paxton welcomes ruling and the DSHS said many re - DART Customer Information at 214-979-1111. as those in day-care cen - Texas Attorney General quired intensive care..