Sara Wesley, 19, and Abby Wesley, 9, talk over video chat with their grandfather Larry Wesley.
Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Mechelle Alvarado, 49, face times with her father Richard Alvarado, 72, who’s currently in a nursing home on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, and is not reaching visitors because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Jimmy Sloan, 9, laughs with his mom Janna as he grabs a cookie that had been delivered to their Houston home with the family is in self quarantine.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
A man waiting in line, along Tidwell, to be tested for coronavirus talks to a Harris County Pct. 3 constable at a free testing site at Forest Brook Middle School on Thursday, April 2, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People are screened as they line up to be tested for coronavirus at a free testing site at Forest Brook Middle School set up by United Memorial Medical Center on Thursday, April 2, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People are screened as they line up to be tested for coronavirus at a free testing site at Forest Brook Middle School set up by United Memorial Medical Center on Thursday, April 2, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People work out, running up the hill behind Miller Outdoor Theater, in Hermann Park on Thursday, April 2, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People observe various degrees of social distancing along Buffalo Bayou, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
City Hall is shown on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 in Houston. With tens of thousands of people working from home due to the conronavirus outbreak, downtown Houston has become a ghost town except for a handful of energy company control room operators, security guards and janitors in the buildings and construction workers in the streets.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
Mike Amboree, rear, and another man wait after being released from jail Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at the Harria County Joint Processing Center in Houston. Amboree said he was granted a personal recognizance bond, even though he has several felonies on his record. He also said many others were also granted PR bonds.
Photo: Jon Shapley/Staff photographer
Medical professionals talk to drivers in line at the city’s newest Cover-19 testing site, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at Delmar Stadium in Houston. People who come to the site must have been pre-screened and brought a unique identification number given to them during the pre-screening to access the testing site.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
People line up in their cars at the city’s newest Cover-19 testing site, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at Delmar Stadium in Houston. People who come to the site must have been pre-screened and brought a unique identification number given to them during the pre-screening to access the testing site.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Everyone who enters through the main entrance to Houston Methodist is screened at the front door, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Warren Woodrup (left) and Aldo Morales install protective rubber sleeves on a prototype of a rolling device to protect medical professionals they are building, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, inside the carpentry shop at Houston Methodist in Houston. The yellow sleeve material is going to be switched out for a medical grade plastic when they start building the real devices later this week. Facilities engineers started putting together a prototype of this device that could be wheeled into rooms and used by medical professionals to serve patients without having to put on as much extra PPE that would have to be thrown away. Two sets of holes would help access equipment like IV bags.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Joe Amato pours hand sanitizer at Whitmeyer’s Distillery to distribute for free out of their Houston location on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The distillery ran out of hand pumps so decided to use their whiskey bottles.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
Diane Nevins enjoyed the seagulls from the seawall after Galveston ordered their beaches closed Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Galveston.
Photo: Steve Gonzales/Staff photographer
Kelly Gale Amen (left) and Tyler Spaulding eat a take-out lunch from the restaurant picnic on the tailgate of a car, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer
Letters that read “STAY HOME” in the front yard of this home in Central Northwest Houston, Monday, March 30, 2020.
Photo: Karen Warren, Staff photographer
A mannequin stands inside of a circle meant to illustrate a safe distance for social distancing with a sign that reads “Social Distancing Practice Dummy” in the front yard of this home in the Timbergrove subdivision, in Houston, Monday, March 30, 2020.
Photo: Karen Warren, Staff photographer
Texas Highway Patrol troopers are seen parked at the Texas Travel Information Center, along the Interstate 10 Highway westbound lanes Monday, March 30, 2020, in Orange, Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday tightened travel to Texas, ordering some motorists from Louisiana to self-quarantine for two weeks. The new restrictions were effective Monday at noon, and DPS said they will not be establishing checkpoints at this time.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff photographer
La Fisheria on Milam downtown is boarded up and closed on Saturday, March 28, 2020 in Houston. Businesses around the city have been closed and boarded up due to the coronavirus pandemic precautions, forcing several businesses to shut their doors.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A new mural on the side of an abandoned building that reads “Remuv Covid-19” downtown, in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2020.
Photo: Karen Warren, Staff photographer
The gate to the Legends Trace subdivision community pool is chained shut and closed due to the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, March 29, 2020 in Spring.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A sign along I-45 North warns that Texas will enforce quarantine orders to Louisiana drivers entering state on Sunday, March 29, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A playground is covered on caution tape, to discourage people from playing there due to coronavirus, in the Legends Trace subdivision on Sunday, March 29, 2020 in Spring.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A playground is covered on caution tape, to discourage people from playing there due to coronavirus, in the Legends Trace subdivision on Sunday, March 29, 2020 in Spring.
Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer
The building housing Rosie Cannonball and the Monrose Cheese & Wine is boarded up and closed on Saturday, March 28, 2020 in Houston. Businesses around the city have been closed and boarded up due to the coronavirus pandemic precautions, forcing several businesses to shut their doors.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People play basketball as a sign indicates that the court is closed due to concerns about COVID-19 on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at Spotts Park in Houston.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
Basketball games still continue at Root Square park in downtown Houston despite Harris County’s stay at home policy on Friday, March 27, 2020.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
A Texas DPS trooper walks through Terminal A on Saturday, March 28, 2020, at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order mandating a two-week self-quarantine for anyone traveling to Texas from the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as the city of New Orleans, with Texas being their final destination. DPS is tasked with enforcing the order, and troopers were stationed at airports throughout the state to screen passengers arriving from those locations, starting at noon, Saturday, March 28, 2020.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
Theresa Tat donates items at Memorial City Mall where a vital donation drive was held Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer
People donated items at Memorial City Mall where a vital donation drive was held Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer
Thomas Sandoval, III, left, an account manager with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, holds the door for a woman who made an appointment to donate blood at a mobile donation center Friday, March 27, 2020, at Memorial City Mall in Houston.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
A worker removes ice from the ice-skating rink Friday, March 27, 2020, at Memorial City Mall in Houston. The mall and the skating rink are closed due to concerns about COVID-19.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
Houston Fire Fighters load a truck of donated hand sanitizer made by PCCA, an FDA-registered and inspected chemical repackager on Friday, March 27, 2020. The company made the hand sanitizer using the recipe from the WHO’s website.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
Tim Singleton, director of the Houston Parks and Recreation’s Woodland Community Center, sits in the center’s parking lot offering free lunches for kids on Friday, March 27, 2020 in Houston. Singleton said they are out Monday through Friday between 1-3 p.m. offering the meals for children.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A man rides a unicycle down Bayland Avenue before a parade of teachers from Travis Elementary School and other local school drive through the neighborhood near the school, Friday, March 27, 2020, in the Heights area of Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Teachers from Travis Elementary School wave to students, parents and neighbors as they parade through the neighborhood near the school, Friday, March 27, 2020, in the Heights area of Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Darragh Park is closed to help prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 virus Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. A stay-at-home order is in place in Galveston, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff photographer
(LtoR) Dandrew Brown, Andre Madison and Forty Landor ride their horses north down the esplanade along Scott Street, Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Houston. The friends said they were taking advantage of the weather and were making sure to try and stay six feet apart.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Court Stephens, 7, and his older brother Grant, 10, spent about 45 minutes writing inspirational messages around their neighborhood near E Tenth and Oxford Streets Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Houston. Alicia Stephens, the boys mother, said that they attend Christ Church Cathedral downtown. Since the COVID-19 outbreak the boys have taken Sunday school via the ZOOM app. Their youth leader encouraged families to spread sidewalk chalk encouragement this week.
Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer
Traffic on Interstate 69 Freeway as the sun sets on the first day of the stay-at-home order put in place by city and county officials Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff photographer
A woman does her best to use social distancing as she stands back from the line of people boarding a Metro bus on Thursday, March 26, 2020 in Houston.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
A car wash on Kirby is open even though only essential businesses are to remain open during the stay-home-work-safe order Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff photographer
Riders take different methods for social distancing on the Metro in Houston on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
Every other seat on the Metro in downtown Houston had reminders about social distancing in on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
Playground equipment is surrounded by caution tape to signals its closure, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at Memorial Park in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Mounted Houston Police Officers spent time along the Seymour Lieberman Trail, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at Memorial Park in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Signs remind customers to practice social distancing while waiting in line, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at H-E-B in Bellaire.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
Traffic is more sparse than usual along the Southwest Freeway near Montrose Boulevard at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, March 25, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
A few people spend time at the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Houston. City of Houston and Harris County officials issued a stay-at-home order on Tuesday due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The order is set to take effect at 11:59 p.m.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
Greg Battle shoots hoops along on Lanier Court in Root Memorial Square, across the street from The Toyota Center, downtown, in Houston, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Battle says he shoots hoops four times a week at the court, which is usually bustling with activity.
Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
People run on the Seymour Lieberman Trail, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at Memorial Park in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Harris County Executive Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner begin a press conference announcing that the county will go into a more restricted lock-down until April 3, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at TranStar in Houston.
Photo: Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer
Shawn Smith, vet tech, takes a dog named Lucky from its owner’s vehicle into Lakeside Animal Clinic, 2501 S. Kirkwood Rd., for an exam Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Houston. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 the vet office is having people wait in their vehicle. A vet tech in personal protective equipment takes the animal in and out of the Clinic.
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff photographer
A woman enters a mobile unit during a blood drive at Lakewood Church on Monday, March 23, 2020, in Houston. The Houston church, in partnership with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, are holding a blood drive all of this week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The drive is aimed to helping the blood shortage the U.S. is facing due to cancellations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff photographer
Aaron Andrus shops for a gun with the help of Louie Uribe, a sales associate at Top Gun Range, in Houston,Thursday, March 19, 2020. Gun sales have risen as people react to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Congressman Al Green, left, Houston Health Department Kenneth House, center, and Marcus Wilhite transport boxes with a total of 8,000 N95 masks the office of the congressman was able to secure for the use of the city of Houston during the Covid-19 outbreak on Sunday, March 22, 2020, in Houston.
Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Staff photographer
Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy E. Nehls along with his officers hand out disinfectant to residents of Fort Bend County at the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Academy, in Richmond ,Sunday, March 22, 2020.
Photo: Karen Warren, Staff photographer
Harris County Public Health Harriett Lewis LVN demonstrates her role during a media tour of a COVID-19 testing site where first responders and medical staff who have symptoms and have been pre-authorized to test Saturday, March 21, 2020, in Houston. Harris County Public Health and Houston Health Department and are not identifying the locations of the sites to prevent people from showing up and being turned away.
Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo talks to the media at a testing center at Butler Stadium in Houston on Saturday, March 21, 2020.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner talks with Sterling Taylor of Houston Methodist at the Houston Health Department free COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Butler Stadium in Houston on Saturday, March 21, 2020.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Toby Schwebel, manager B&B Butchers & Restaurant, dishes up a plate of food during a fund-raising pop up barbecue drive-thru at the restaurant on Saturday, March 21, 2020 in Houston. All funds raised during the event will go the restaurant’s hourly employees, who have been put out of work during the restaurant shutdowns forced by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
Arantxa Martinez, left, who works at Brennan’s of Houston, Cristian Juarez, sous chef at Traveler’s Table, and Robert Cantu, chef at Post Oak Grill, eat sandwiches given out by workers from Killen’s BBQ on the hood of a car on Saturday, March 21, 2020 in Houston. Killen’s BBQ handed out complimentary sandwiches and chips to members of the hospitality industry affected by coronavirus-related shutdowns in a pop up drive-thru at 101 Heights Blvd. In a post on Killen’s BBQ Facebook page that they hope to keep using their resources and manpower to help feed workers until the restaurant closings are lifted.
Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer
People leave Douglas MacArthur High School after picking up student lunches Friday, March 20, 2020, in Houston. Aldine ISD is offering free curbside breakfast and lunch meals because of schools were closed due to concerns about COVID-19.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
People wait in line at the drive-thru testing center that opened to health care professionals and first responders, Friday, March 20, 2020, at Butler Stadium in southwest Houston. Everyone who arrived was already pre-screened and had to provide a unique ID number at the entrance to gain access. The city says the location will open to the broader public in the future.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
People line up in their cars for free drive-thru testing for Covid-19, Thursday, March 19, 2020, at the United Memorial Medical Center off of W. Tidwell in Houston. Drivers go through a series of three tents – screening, registration and then, if they qualify, testing. Two tents are set up for each step of the process.
Photo: Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer
A healthcare worker talks to people as they wait in a line of vehicles at a My Family Doctor clinic on Hillcroft Street on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Houston. The clinic advertised on its website that it will conduct drive-through testing for COVID-19, for patients at risk of the disease.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer
Ashley Lia laughs with customer Kyle Rowland at Dumpling Haus HTX in Sawyer Yards in Houston on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The restaurant, that used to be just a pop-up, opened its brick and mortar establishment two months ago.
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer
A health professional with the Matagorda Medical Group checks the temperature of a woman entering the Matagorda County Court House on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Bay City, Texas. The first death in the state, caused by the new coronavirus, was a 90-year-old man from Bay City. The county started health screening this morning.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff photographer
Emmeline Soileau, 13, left, and her friend, Gracelyn Holland, 12, right, ride BCycles as friend, Reese Manuel, 12, second from left, and Emmeline’s mother, Pippa Soileau, wait at the BCycle Station outside City Hall Monday, March 16, 2020, in Houston. The group all from Lake Charles were in town to celebrate Emmeline’s birthday. They all were wearing gloves and Pippa had sanitizing wipes to use on the bike seats and handles.
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff photographer
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, left, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, right, with others hold a COVID-19 news conference at Houston TranStar, 6922 Katy Road, Monday, March 16, 2020, in Houston. They announced that starting tomorrow for 15 days, restaurants with be takeout only and all bars will be closed.
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff photographer
Three girls receive egg cartons from volunteers at Milby High School on Monday, March 16, 2020, in Houston. HISD schools are closed to prevent further spread of the new coronavirus, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization last week. The school district, in partnership with the Houston Food Bank School Market program, will offer daily food distribution at five area high schools through Friday, March 20.
Photo: Godofredo A. Vásquez, Staff photographer
Custodian Jessica Frear uses cleaning solution as she disinfects a classroom at Lincoln Elementary School, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Montgomery.
Photo: Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer
Nathan Feuquay, a senior from Lindale, Texas, rubs his face as he waits to load out after the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was cancelled due to concerns about COVID-19, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at NRG Center in Houston. “If we were scared of it we wouldn’t have come,” he said.
Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff photographer