Photography by Kathy Tran
There’s no denying 2020 was a bleak year. The obvious culprit is the coronavirus, which caused thousands of U.S. deaths and mass unemployment, not to mention widespread anxiety. But life goes on. As weeks turned to months, East Dallas neighbors found creative ways to live their lives in a year that was anything but normal.
MILESTONES
COVID-19 Timeline in East Dallas
MARCH 10: First presumptive positive COVID-19 case reported in Dallas County
MARCH 11: St. Patrick’s Day parade on Greenville Avenue canceled
MARCH 13: Dallas County bans gatherings of more than 500 people
MARCH 15: First Texan dies from COVID-19
MARCH 16: City of Dallas orders all bars, gyms and theaters to close at midnight, Dallas ISD announces it is closing schools indefinitely, DISD reports its first coronavirus case after a student at J.L. Long Middle School tests positive
MARCH 19: Gov. Greg Abbott issues an executive order closing schools, bars, dine-in restaurants and gyms and banning gatherings of more than 10 people
MARCH 22: Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issues shelter-in-place order
MARCH 31: Abbott issues executive order that prohibits Texans from leaving their homes for anything other than essential activities
APRIL 3: The Lot permanently closes
APRIL 4: Dallas County COVID-19 cases surpass 1,000
APRIL 16: Jenkins requires Dallas County residents to wear face coverings in public
MAY 1: Restaurants, retail stores, theaters and malls reopen at 25 percent capacity
MAY 11: Highland Park Cafeteria permanently closes after 95 years in business
MAY 22: Bars and bowling alleys reopen at 25 percent capacity. Restaurants increase occupancy to 50 percent.
JUNE 12: Restaurants expand capacity to 75 percent
JUNE 24: Texas’ positivity rate exceeds 10 percent
JUNE 26: Bars close again. Restaurant and business capacity scaled back to 50 percent
JULY 2: Abbott issues statewide mask mandate
JULY 3-20: Dallas County reports more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases for 18 consecutive days
SEPT. 8: DISD resumes classes online
OCT. 5: DISD students who opted for in-person learning return to campus
OCT. 21: The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission suspends The Whippersnapper’s liquor license for violating COVID-19 protocols
OCT. 27: The TABC suspends liquor licenses at four more East Dallas bars: Shuck N Jive, High Fives, Alamo Club and XOXO Dining Room
NOV. 11: More than 10,000 COVID-19 cases reported since March in Dallas County
NOV. 27-DEC. 3: 15 percent of hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients for seven consecutive days
DEC. 3: Restaurants and retail capacity reduced to 50 percent in Dallas County
DEC. 14: First COVID-19 vaccine administered in Dallas County
DEC. 16: Dallas County reports a single-day high of 1,942 COVID-19 cases
