Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced that he is amending his most recent orders, and most notably he says that barbershops, hair salons, and nail shops can reopen on Friday, May 8th with certain caveats in place.
Meanwhile, the Governor also said that all restrictions are lifted for weddings, funerals, and graveside services, but he did make recommendations for those events, and he also placed stipulations for wedding receptions.
Here is a summary of the Governor’s orders:
Weddings/Funerals/Burials – It is recommended that a section of the venue be set aside for older guests and those with health problems. Recommended that social distancing be observed.
Wedding Receptions – The same rules that apply to restaurants are required to be used at the wedding reception venue; 25% capacity limit, and social distancing must be observed.
Cosmetology – Barbershops, hair salons, tanning salons, and nail shops may reopen on Friday, May 8th. It is required that each operator service only one client at a time and each client must maintain 6’ of distance from other clients. It is recommended that both the operator and the client wear masks. It is also recommended that the operator take only appointments rather than walk-ins.
Restaurants – 25% capacity limit still in effect. However, the Governor says that if a restaurant has outdoor seating, the 25% capacity limit does not apply to outdoor seating, but patrons must still maintain social distance,
Gyms – Can reopen on Monday, May 18th at 25% capacity. However, the gym’s locker rooms and showers cannot be used. All users of the gym must wear gloves that cover the entire hand, including the fingers, and gym employees must disinfect each piece of equipment after each use. Gym users must maintain social distance.
Bars/Nightclubs – Still cannot open. Governor says his team is still studying that issue.
Non-Essential Manufacturers – Can open as of Monday, May 18th at 25% occupancy.
Businesses in Office Buildings – Can open as of Monday, May 18th.
Testing has doubled in the past two weeks. While the total positive cases continue to increase, the percentage of positive results from testing has declined from 7.2% to 4.6%. Unfortunately, Texas deaths from COVID-19 increased by 36% during the past week. Social distancing and facial coverings remain as the primary method of protecting Texas citizens, especially the vulnerable population.
