Coronavirus In Texas: Hood County Businesses Can Reopen At 50% Capacity Due To Low COVID-19 Infection Rates
GRANBURY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Government officials found out this weekend that Hood County was one of 50 Texas counties, out of 254, whose COVID-19 infection numbers were low enough to allow their businesses to move into Phase II of Governor Greg Abbott's Open Texas program, according to the Granbury Police Department.
Under "Phase II" of Abbott's current plan for restarting the economy, businesses can reopen at 50% of capacity, instead of 25%, according to the Governor's Open Texas Report.
"As of May 1, (the) Department of State Health Services has re-certified certain counties based on the new positive count criteria for COVID-19," said Hood County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Jay Webster. "We are pleased to announce that our county was certified to reopen at the 50 percent guidelines."
Granbury and Hood County's latest numbers of COVID-19 patients are far below neighboring cities of Fort Worth and Dallas, who both saw huge one-day spikes in reported cases over the weekend.
Dallas County reported 234 additional cases of the coronavirus Sunday, the highest number of new cases the county has seen to date.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
- Stay home when you are sick, except to seek medical care
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and help young children to do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-base hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands.