Bars in Texas will be allowed to re-open at 50 percent capacity beginning Wednesday, Oct. 14, but only on a county-by-county basis with approval from individual county judges, according to health guidelines published by Gov. Greg Abbott’s office today (Wednesday, Oct. 7) on the website for the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas. The announcement on the website comes a day after Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on Monday, Oct. 5, about hospitalizations due to COVID-19 falling statewide. But Dallas County bars will not be among those allowing bars to re-open.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said via Twitter on today (Wednesday, Oct. 7), “I will not file to open them at this time.” He added that according to the Dallas County Public Health Committee, the county remains “in orange,” or in other words, at moderate community risk for COVID-19 transmission, but “our numbers are increasing (Bad!) I will listen to everyone but will follow the science.”
The guidelines published on the strike force website today allow “opening bars and similar establishments to 50 percent capacity in regions with low COVID-19 hospitalizations” beginning a week from today, adding that “County Judges can opt their county into these openings provided they assist in enforcing health protocols.”
The guidelines also allow “businesses like amusement parks, movie theaters, zoos, aquariums and bowling alleys can expand to 75 percent capacity in counties with low COVID-19 hospitalizations” beginning Oct. 14. “Texans have shown that we can contain the spread of COVID-19 by following health protocols and guidelines. Our state is prepared for these additional openings, but we all must remain vigilant and show personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” the post today continues.
According to hospital capacity information provided daily by the city of Dallas, the hospitals reporting to the city have, over the first five days in October, been at about 72 percent capacity on average. The Texas Department of State Health Services, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, there have been 777,556 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state since the epidemic began, with 16,230 fatalities. The DSHS also reports 3,776 new cases diagnosed and 119 new fatalities within the last 24 hours. There are an estimated 70,813 active cases in the state as of today.
DSHS reports 84,491 total cases in Dallas County and 48,707 total cases in Tarrant County, with 5,841 active cases right now in Dallas County, and 2,729 active cases right now in Tarrant County.
— Tammye Nash
