Bexar County to Await More Data Before Opening Bars
October 8, 2020 - Bexar County
Waiting for News. Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order allowing bars to open at 50% capacity beginning Oct. 14 given they reside in a region with low COVID-19 hospitalizations - or less than 15% of the hospital capacity - and the county judge’s approval. Photo: Stacey Lovett.
By Chase Rogers - Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has chosen not to opt into a statewide order permitting the opening of some bars in the state
- Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order allowing bars to open at 50% capacity beginning Oct. 14 given they reside in a region with low COVID-19 hospitalizations
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has chosen not to opt into a statewide order permitting the opening of some bars in the state, conditioning the opening on pending recommendations from local health officials.
Wolff’s decision runs parallel to the choices of other leaders in densely populated counties in Texas, including Harris, Travis and Dallas counties.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order allowing bars to open at 50% capacity beginning Oct. 14 given they reside in a region with low COVID-19 hospitalizations - or less than 15% of the hospital capacity - and the county judge’s approval. Additionally, the order allows amusement parks, movie theaters, zoos, fine arts performance halls, bowling alleys and other similar businesses to operate at 75% capacity.
“It is time to open up more, provided that safe protocols continue to be followed,” Abbott said in Wednesday’s Facebook video.
In a press release hours after the governor’s announcement, Wolff said he will wait to opt in until he sees more data.
“At this point, I’m not opting in," Wolff said during a Wednesday night news briefing.
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Wolff said he also asked the former director of the San Antonio Metropolitan District, now Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, to propose recommendations for his consideration by Oct. 14., once the new guidelines are slated to begin.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said that while more data and recommendations have been requested by city officials - that does not necessarily indicate bars will remain closed indefinitely.
“It’s that we’re going to go through a process and make sure that we’re opening in a safe manner,” Nirenberg said.
While many bars have remained shuttered during the pandemic, other businesses have shifted to another model which include more food options allowing for a reclassification by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) as a food-serving establishment.
As of Wednesday evening, Bexar County currently sits at a case load of 59,153 COVID-19 cases. The death toll remains at 1,138 cases.
Chase Rogers is a freelance reporter and writer published in the Central and South Texas regions. He can be reached at chaserogersreporting@outlook.com