Abbott hints at localized approach to reopening Texas businesses amid coronavirus
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional comments.
Gov. Greg Abbott hinted Wednesday at a regional approach to reopening businesses in Texas based on the level of spread of the novel coronavirus.
In an interview Wednesday morning with talk show host Chad Hasty on KFYO radio in Lubbock, Abbott said that as part of his revised guidance to begin reopening businesses in Texas, counties with lower numbers of confirmed cases may be able to fully reopen sooner than counties where the virus is still growing.
Abbott pointed to April 9 as the date of Texas’ “high water mark,” and according to the Houston Chronicle, the state saw 1,421 new cases confirmed that day — a high of new daily cases that has not been reached since. But the number of cases across Texas is likely higher than reported, as testing has been limited. Texas ranks near the bottom nationwide in per capita testing.
“That was the only day we’ve had in the state of Texas that had more than 1,000 people test positive for COVID-19,” Abbott said.
However, there are “some pockets in the state of Texas that don’t have the adequate downward trajectory,” he continued.
Last week, Abbott issued an executive order permitting retail businesses to begin operating “to-go” starting Friday, and he’s expected to announce revised guidance Monday.
Abbott said in an interview with WBAP radio Wednesday morning that guidance could come as soon as Friday, and that a date would be set “beginning a week after” the announcement to allow more openings “the first couple of days in May.”
Strategies are being discussed on how to allow restaurants, salons, churches and more businesses to operate in a limited way Abbott told WBAP, and that Texans would be able to “go back and go dining under safe standards” and “be able to get a haircut.”
But Abbott stressed in his interview with KFYO that despite his announcement that will open “so many different types of businesses,” social distancing measures will still be in place to guide how businesses operate and how customers can visit them.
“It’s not going to be like it was before the coronavirus existed,” Abbott said. “Even though there may be fewer cases of the coronavirus, it hasn’t left the geography of the state of Texas. It is still here.”
COVID-19 testing continues statewide
As of Wednesday morning, the Texas Department of State Health Services was reporting that more than 205,000 Texans had been tested for COVID-19. Of those, 20,196 had tested positive, with 1,614 currently hospitalized. There have also been at 517 COVID-19 related deaths and an estimated 6,486 patients who have recovered — meaning they’ve gone at least two weeks of being COVID-19 free.
Counties with zero or a low number of confirmed cases — mostly in rural areas of the state — may be able to have an “expanded version” of being able to reopen businesses, Abbott said.
“And then on the flip side of that, there are some counties where the outbreak is still progressing too rapidly, and they may not be able to fully participate in the initial phase of opening until they get the spread of the coronavirus in their county under control,” Abbott said.
In the Panhandle, Abbott pointed to the counties of Moore, Potter and Randall as areas with “too high of a growth rate right now.”
“The hope is that when our open business order goes into effect, that those counties will be corralled,” Abbott said.
Abbott has faced mounting pressure from both directions, with Democratic lawmakers and public health experts cautioning that more widespread testing is needed. Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have called on Abbott to loosen restrictions to get Texans back to work and hundreds defied social distancing restrictions Saturday to protest the state’s stay-at-home order at the Texas Capitol.
To his critics, Abbott said he’s focusing on ensuring Texas is able to open up in steps over the course of the next year, “as opposed to rushing the gates and having everybody get sick, and having to close businesses down again.”
“In typical Texas fashion, we are going to continue to lead America for doing business by doing this in a smart way and in a sustainable way,” Abbott said.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 10:54 AM.
