COVID-19 Reopening: Texas Economy To Be Fastest to Recover
We are sharing some good news with you in regards to our economy opening back up again. In a call with governors yesterday, President Trump proposed a phased reopening of the U.S. and is leaving it up to governors to decide how and when to let businesses reopen.
We are sharing some highlights from that call with you as well as some highlights from Governor Abbott’s press conference this afternoon. We hope you find this encouraging as our country and economy begin to stabilize.
President Trump gave the governors authority to open their states and businesses up by May 1st or earlier in a phone call yesterday. He also released a set of nonbinding guidelines that outline a return to normalcy over the next few weeks. The guidelines emphasize a “patchwork approach”, allowing businesses to gradually reopen instead of opening everything at once. The pace at which states reopen will be decided by the states’ governor.
States that have not been as impacted by COVID-19 will probably begin to open sooner than May 1st. As many as 29 states could reopen sooner than expected. Many governors are starting to make statements on when their state will be able to open back up for business, while still taking necessary precautions to avoid the spread of infection. Each state will likely be taking their own approach, with some opening by county or by business type instead of all at once. If you would like to see your state reopen soon, call your governor’s office to voice your concerns.
Governor Abbott held a press conference this afternoon where he issued a series of executive orders that address reopening the state of Texas. We provided a brief overview of the highlights from the press conference below.
A statewide strike force was established to help advise on how to reopen the Texas economy. The strike force will consist of state government officials, medical professionals and influential business owners.
Starting next Friday, retailers will be able to start providing to go service to customers through a curbside pick-up or drive though service.
State parks will reopen starting Monday, with certain guidelines still in place. All park visitors must wear a face covering and social distance at least 6 feet from members outside of their household.
The ban on elective medical procedures has also been loosened starting Wednesday, 4/22. Non-essential surgeries no longer need to be postponed since we have plenty of hospital capacity and personal protective equipment.
Businesses with a minimal threat of spreading the virus will be allowed to open first. An additional round of businesses that can be reopened will be announced next Friday, 4/27.
Governor Abbott also noted that we will see an increase in additional testing in the next coming weeks. He also mentioned that Texas is nowhere near the original dire predictions in terms of infection and death. The governor remained optimistic that we can allow businesses to gradually open and curtail the spread of the infection. On April 27th, Governor Abbott will be announcing “additional ways to open Texas up” so that we can get our economy going again.
You can call Governor Abbott at 512-463-2000 and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at 512-463-0001 to voice your opinion on opening the state back up.
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