Plano man, 64, dies from COVID-19 coronavirus; city announces new restrictions

PLANO, TX – A 64-year-old Plano man is the first COVID-19-related death reported in Collin County.

Collin County Judge Chris Hill confirmed that the man died at a local hospital on Tuesday from an underlying medical condition.

Collin County announced new cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 13.

At 5 p.m., a bevy of new measures went into effect in Plano that mirror the earlier restrictions in Dallas County blocking restaurants and bars from dine-in service.

Meanwhile, at least one Collin County city is taking a different stance in terms of restricting businesses.

Michael Hamilton and Mona Crider with the La Foofaraw Interior Design store in Plano haven’t had to adjust as much as restaurants that are now restricted to take-out or delivery. But the decrease in foot traffic is hitting everyone.

“Obviously, we’re hurting because we’re a small business,” Crider said. “And we depend on that walk in customers and those great loyal customers that we have, but they’re not coming right now.”

The measures kicking into effect in Plano are stricter than those issued by the county.

Other cities, like McKinney, will also limit restaurants to take out and delivery starting Friday.

Frisco is taking a different approach. Mayor Jeff Cheney says the city’s medical expert “agrees restaurants pose no greater risk than a gaming store, grocery store or other retail locations. We’re choosing to take a tempered approach.”

The city of Plano feels the precautions they’re taking will save lives.

“It’s so bothersome for us to know that society has changed so much just in the last week from the virus. But the message is there’s no doubt that with the actions we’re taking, we’re going to prevent people from getting sick and save lives. And that’s the bottom line,” said Plano spokesperson Steve Stoler. “There’s been deaths around the world. There’s been deaths around the country. There’s been deaths in Texas. There’s been deaths locally now. So I think that raises the awareness but the awareness was already high.”

A Pep Boys in Plano at the corner of Spring Creek and Alma announced it was closed Wednesday. A sign at the door says an employee tested positive, and all team members are self-quarantining. The store also says it’s notifying customers who were at the store.

Meanwhile, back in Downtown Plano, businesses are helping one another.

“We’ve moved a lot to X online sales. We’ve moved a lot to Facebook, and we’re just trying to find any way possible to let people know that the Downtown Plano businesses are open,” said Zane King with the Downtown Plano Arts and Heritage Foundation. “There is a lot of fear. There is a lot of uncertainty. But the beauty of this is I’ve seen this community, and I’ve seen this area come together in a way we haven’t seen before.”