Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would be lifting Texas’s stay-at-home order and allowing some businesses to reopen with limited capacity this week.
“My executive order to stay at home that was issued last month is set to expire on April 30. That executive order has done its job to slow the growth of COVID-19, and I will let it expire as scheduled,” Abbott said during a press conference on Monday. “Now, it’s time to set a new course. A course that responsibly opens up businesses in Texas.”
He continued, “We will do that in a way that uses safe standards. Safe standards for businesses, for their employees as well as for their customers. Standards based upon data and on doctors.”
Abbott said he would let businesses begin reopening on Friday. Retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and shopping malls will all be allowed to open at 25% capacity to provide for social distancing. Libraries and museums were also approved to reopen at 25% capacity, but hands-on exhibits must remain closed.
The governor noted that this will be the state’s first phase of reopening, and capacity limitations would be gradually lifted as Texas reacts to the coronavirus. He said a limited reopening will prevent a resurgence of coronavirus cases, as other countries have faced.
“There’s a reason that all businesses in Texas cannot open all at once,” Abbott said. “We’ve already seen precautionary tales of what can happen when things reopen. There have been reports that China is now having new outbreaks. Singapore is having a second wave that is bigger than its first wave. There’s coronavirus expansion in places like Hong Kong and Japan.”
He added, “The deal is that it’s a fact that it’s hard to get rid of this virus because it is so contagious. So, we’re not just going to open up and hope for the best. Instead, we will put measures in place that will help businesses open while also containing the virus and keeping Texans safe.”
Abbott explained that businesses not included in the first phase of openings such as hair salons, bars, and gyms should expect to reopen “no later than mid-May.”
As of Monday, Texas had more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 661 related deaths.
