Gov. Abbott issues executive orders to reopen Texas economy

Special to the PRESS/NEWS

GOV. GREG ABBOTT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a series of Executive Orders last Friday to begin the “reop

ening” of the state, the first order establishing a “strike force” overseeing his orders.

Additionally, Governor Abbott announced a preliminary timetable for reopening certain closed Texas businesses and state parks:

• April 20: Most State Parks will reopen with physical distancing measures in place

• April 24: Nonessential stores in Texas will be able to operate “retail-to-go”

• April 27: Additional ways to reopen Texas will be announced based on how well COVID

-19 has been contained in Texas

The Governor’s second Executive Order (GA-16) relates to the safe, strategic reopening of select services and activities in Texas. This order establishes a temporary “Retail-To-Go” model that will allow retail outlets in Texas to reopen beginning Friday, April 24. Under this model, reopened establishments are required to deliver items to customer’s cars, homes, or other locations to minimize contact.

Under this Executive Order, schools—including public, private, and higher education institutions—will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year. Teachers may go into the classroom for video instruction, to perform administrative duties, and to clean out their classrooms.

The Governor’s third Executive Order (GA-15) relates to hospital capacity and personal protective equipment (PPE) needed for the COVID-19 response. The order loosens restrictions on surgeries put in place by Governor Abbott in March.

From April 21 to May 8, all licensed health care professionals and all licensed health care facilities must continue to postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not medically necessary to diagnose or correct a serious medical condition of, or to preserve the life of, a patient who without timely performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death as determined by a patient’s physician.

The Governor also directed state parks to reopen on Monday, April 20 with strict guidelines to reduce transmission of COVID-19—including requiring visitors to wear face coverings, maintain a six-foot distance from individuals outside of their party, and prohibiting the gathering of groups larger than five.

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