Texas Governor Says Bars Can Reopen – Here’s What You Need To Know

I don't need to tell you how much our lives have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic swept into our lives, but the biggest change is being able to be with friends and family. We are supposed to be staying away from people who don't live in our homes, but that's not happening. All you need to do is drive down the street to see lots of cars in front of houses and people having get togethers. I have to be honest, my family has had a couple of get togethers but 90% of the time we have stayed away from each other so we minimize the risk of infection.

The other thing that we haven't been able to do is go grab a drink with friends at our favorite bar. Texas Governor Greg Abbott tried to reopen bars earlier in the summer but the spike in COVID-19 infections caused him to shut them down again. Some bars took advantage of Abbott's decree that if they made 51% of their revenue from food sales, bars could reopen.

On Wednesday Abbott announced that he was going to let bars open again at 50% capacity if they are in an area with a low COVID-19 hospitalization rate. On Wednesday, October 14, Texas county judges can let bars reopen if they are following virus safety protocols. Along with bars reopening, amusement parks, movie theaters, zoos, aquariums, and bowling alleys will be able to reopen to 75% capacity ‪on Monday, October 12.

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego was working on a letter to ask for a two week delay from the governor, but it sounds like he might not need the permission. We'll keep you up-to-date on what happens with El Paso bars.