Texas Reopening Under 'Temporary Pause' Due To Surge In COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Further phases of reopening Texas are being temporarily paused due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday.
The governor said businesses that are permitted to open at this time can still operate under current guidelines such as capacity levels and social distancing measures.
Since early May, the state has been slowing reopening its businesses since they were forced to shut down due to the pandemic. In just over a month, businesses like restaurants are now able to open at 75% capacity.
However, as of recent, there has been a sharp increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, which prompted state leaders to pause any further reopening phases.
On Wednesday, health officials reported a record-high 5,551 new COVID-19 cases and another record 4,389 patients hospitalized for the virus.
"As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families," Abbott said. "The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses. This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."
Recently, Dallas and Tarrant counties issued ordinances that require face masks inside businesses in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.