September 19, 2020
Governor issues two new executive orders
By Jessica Nohealapa'ahi Goode
The Bandera Prophet
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued new Executive Orders GA-30 and 31 on Thursday, outlining which businesses are limited to 50 percent capacity, 75 percent capacity, those with no occupancy limit and those not allowed to operate at all.
In accordance with EO GA-30, there is no occupancy limit for “religious services, including those conducted in churches, congregations and houses of worship; local government operations, including county and municipal governmental operations relating to licensing (including marriage licenses), permitting, recordation and document-filing services; child-care services; youth camps; recreational sports programs for youths and adults; any public or private schools; and drive-in concerts, movies or similar events, under guidelines that facilitate appropriate social distancing, that generally require spectators to remain in their vehicles, and that minimize in-person contact between people who are not in the same household or vehicle.”
There is also no occupancy limit for businesses that maintain at least six feet of social distancing between work stations, including cosmetology salons, hair salons, barber shops and nail salons/shops; massage establishments; and tanning salons, tattoo studios, piercing studios, hair removal services, and hair loss treatment and growth services.
Dine-in restaurants, retail stores, museums, libraries and gyms may operate at 75 percent.
Amusement parks may operate at no more than 50 percent of the normal operating limits as determined by the owner.
Any outdoor gatherings in excess of 10 people is prohibited unless the mayor of the city or the county judge approves of the gathering.
Only restaurants that have less than 51 percent of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages, and whose customers eat or drink only while seated, may offer dine-in services.
“People shall not visit bars or similar establishments…people shall not use commercial rafting or tubing services, including rental of rafts or tubes and transportation of people for the purpose of rafting or tubing,” the order further states.
Executive Order No. GA-31 states every hospital licensed under Chapter 241 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and located in an area with high hospitalizations “shall 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 the patient’s physician.”
“Areas with high hospitalizations” means any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of CoViD-19 hospitalized patients exceeds 15 percent. Counties with high hospitalizations are also excluded from the extended business openings.
A current list of areas with high hospitalizations will be maintained at www.dshs.texas.gov/ga3031.
In accordance with EO GA-30, there is no occupancy limit for “religious services, including those conducted in churches, congregations and houses of worship; local government operations, including county and municipal governmental operations relating to licensing (including marriage licenses), permitting, recordation and document-filing services; child-care services; youth camps; recreational sports programs for youths and adults; any public or private schools; and drive-in concerts, movies or similar events, under guidelines that facilitate appropriate social distancing, that generally require spectators to remain in their vehicles, and that minimize in-person contact between people who are not in the same household or vehicle.”
There is also no occupancy limit for businesses that maintain at least six feet of social distancing between work stations, including cosmetology salons, hair salons, barber shops and nail salons/shops; massage establishments; and tanning salons, tattoo studios, piercing studios, hair removal services, and hair loss treatment and growth services.
Dine-in restaurants, retail stores, museums, libraries and gyms may operate at 75 percent.
Amusement parks may operate at no more than 50 percent of the normal operating limits as determined by the owner.
Any outdoor gatherings in excess of 10 people is prohibited unless the mayor of the city or the county judge approves of the gathering.
Only restaurants that have less than 51 percent of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages, and whose customers eat or drink only while seated, may offer dine-in services.
“People shall not visit bars or similar establishments…people shall not use commercial rafting or tubing services, including rental of rafts or tubes and transportation of people for the purpose of rafting or tubing,” the order further states.
Executive Order No. GA-31 states every hospital licensed under Chapter 241 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and located in an area with high hospitalizations “shall 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 the patient’s physician.”
“Areas with high hospitalizations” means any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of CoViD-19 hospitalized patients exceeds 15 percent. Counties with high hospitalizations are also excluded from the extended business openings.
A current list of areas with high hospitalizations will be maintained at www.dshs.texas.gov/ga3031.