Abbott allows water parks and food courts to reopen, rec sports to resume amid COVID
Gov. Greg Abbott expanded upon the list of businesses allowed to reopen amid the novel coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, allowing water parks, recreational sports, driver education programs and food courts to soon resume.
Abbott announced the additions in a proclamation Tuesday. The expanded list of services comes a little over a week after the most recent set of businesses, including child care centers and tattoo studios, were permitted to open their doors, and days after bars, bowling alleys and more were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity Friday.
Both driver education programs and food courts in malls may immediately reopen, according to the proclamation. Shopping malls were first allowed to reopen at a limited capacity nearly a month ago on May 1, and at the time food courts and play areas were required to remain closed.
Similar to guidelines for restaurants, tables in food courts must be disinfected between uses, individuals sitting at different tables should remain six feet apart, no more than six people should be seated at a table and condiments and other items should not be left on the table between uses. Malls are encouraged to designate at least one employee to ensure the guidelines are followed, according to the news release.
Driving schools may operate at 25% capacity for classroom instruction, and students and instructors should remain six feet apart — except when receiving in-car instructions or participating in a road test, according to the guidelines.
In addition, employees should consider wearing face masks, one member of the student’s household may also be present in the car, if any, and steering wheels, door handles and more should be disinfected between uses.
Beginning Friday, May 29, water parks may reopen at 25% capacity, however, interactive areas like video arcades must remain closed. Employees and visitors are encouraged to remain six feet apart and it’s recommended they consider wearing face masks, according to guidelines for water park operators and visitors.
“Face coverings may not be feasible while in the water,” the guidelines note.
Some Tarrant County water parks, like Splash Dayz Waterpark in White Settlement, had previously posted on its website that they would be closed for the 2020 season, while others like NRH2O Family Water Park in North Richland Hills said they were preparing to reopen and awaiting Abbott’s go-ahead.
Amusement parks have not yet been permitted to reopen, although last week Abbott said he would like to see them open as quickly as possible.
Starting Sunday, May 31, recreational sports for adults may resume. Practices must be held without spectators, and similar to restrictions on youth sports programs, games and competitions may not begin until June 15 — where spectators are permitted if they remain at least six feet apart.
Both spectators and staff should consider wearing face masks, and group excursions are strongly discouraged. The guidelines also stress that for two weeks after participating in a practice or game, participants are at a greater risk of passing the virus onto anyone 65 years or older.
Many youth sports leagues in Tarrant County have said they plan to resume this summer after Abbott gave them the green light to do so starting May 31. Although, the City of Fort Worth previously told the Star-Telegram it would not be holding its recreational youth or adult leagues, and that its three aquatic centers would not yet reopen.
Tuesday’s announcement is the latest set of businesses allowed to reopen under Texas’ phased plan that Abbott first unveiled late last month. Abbott had allowed his statewide stay-at-home order to expire at the end of April, and permitted restaurants, movie theaters and more to start to reopen to customers at 25% capacity.
Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported that over 943,200 Texans had been tested for COVID-19, with 56,560 confirmed cases and 1,536 COVID-19 related deaths.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 3:12 PM.
