When the virus first reached Texas, he deferred to local officials, and many issued their own versions of stay-at-home orders. Klein predicted that most urban counties, where the majority of his organization’s members are located, will not reopen.ĭuring different phases of the pandemic, Abbott has taken different approaches for how much power to give local authorities.
“Abbott has forced 254 other people to make this decision for him with no guideposts as to how to make that decision. “The truth is we remain closed until someone else makes the decision to open us up based on whatever parameters they deem appropriate - data, politics, personal animus, you name it,” said Michael Klein, president of the Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance. Some applauded the step, while others complained that Abbott left the power in the hands of counties.
The announcement drew mixed reviews from bar owners.
“If everyone continues the safe practices, Texas will be able to contain COVID and we will be able to reopen 100%.” “It is time to open up more, provided that safe protocols continue to be followed,” Abbott said. He defined those regions as areas where coronavirus patients make up more than 15% of hospital capacity.
In addition to bars being allowed to reopen, businesses currently limited to 50% capacity may now expand to 75% capacity - including establishments like movie theaters, bowling alleys, bingo halls and amusement parks.īut Abbott said in his order that bars in regions of the state with high hospitalizations for coronavirus won’t be able to reopen. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said on Twitter that he “will not file to open them at this time,” noting that “our numbers are increasing.” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement that “indoor, maskless gatherings should not be taking place right now, and this applies to bars, as well.” He's officially passed the buck,” the Texas Bar & Nightclub Alliance said in a statement.But soon after Abbott’s announcement, the state’s two most populous counties indicated they would not go along with the reopening plan. Hundreds of Texas bars have added kitchens or food service during the lockdown as a way of getting around the closure order.Īn industry group for Texas bar owners blasted the move, accusing Abbott of punting the tough decision on bar reopenings to counties. Leaders in Austin were also noncommittal, saying they would confer with local health officials. “It's understandable that the public would falsely believe that the numbers are going down when the Governor is reopening businesses and therefore people have loosened their guard for their home gatherings,” Jenkins said. Texas' largest counties are controlled by Democrats, many of whom have accused Abbott of reopening the state too quickly.ĭallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat and one of Abbott's sharpest critics during the pandemic, said he would not move to reopen bars. Conservative activists, who have driven the Texas GOP’s agenda for years, have filed multiple lawsuits accusing Abbott of overreaching in his lockdown orders and issuing a statewide mask mandate.Ībbott, who for months has rejected calls to give local officials the power to impose tougher COVID-19 restrictions, made bar reopenings conditional on the approval of county leaders. Nationwide, about 30,000 coronavirus patients are hospitalized, according to the COVID Tracking Project.Ībbott’s handling of the pandemic has come under fire not just from angry bar owners but also the right wing if his own party. Other states are now seeing a resurgence in cases, including Wisconsin, where health officials announced Wednesday that a field hospital will open next week at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee. Last month, Abbott began relaxing some coronavirus restrictions for the first time since a summer surge of cases hammered Texas, overwhelming hospitals in Houston and along the hard-hit border with Mexico.
“Even with more students returning to school and more gatherings like football games, Texans have show that we can contain the spread of COVID,” Abbott said in the video. He did not elaborate in an an announcement that was not open to the press, and was instead made in a recorded video posted to Facebook. He later expressed regret over letting bars back in business so quickly.īut Abbott said safety protocols and testing are now better, adding that Texas would have an additional 100,000 rapid-result tests daily starting next week. It is also roughly the same number of patients Texas reported in mid-June, when cases began to skyrocket and Abbott retreated from one of America’s most aggressive reopenings, shuttering bars for a second time.