AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- The next parts of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to re-open the Texas economy in the wake of COVID-19 gets underway Monday.
Among the businesses that can re-open Monday are gyms and exercise facilities, non-essential manufacturing, and office buildings, all following the requirements outlined in the state's Open Texas plan.
- Gyms and exercise facilities can open up to 25% of their occupancy. Locker rooms and showers must remain closed, but restrooms can be open. Equipment should be spaced apart to provide room for social distancing, and touch points should be regularly and frequently disinfected. Gym patrons should wear gloves that fully cover from the wrist to the fingers, and consider wearing a face covering.
- Non-essential manufacturing can open up to 25% of their occupancy. Efforts should be made to stagger shift start, break, and end times to minimize close contact, consider wearing face coverings, and either provide for social distancing or other dividers to minimize the chances of transmision of COVID-19.
- Office buildings can re-open to the greater of 5 individuals or 25% of the workforce. Elevators should be limited to a maximum of four people, and consider staggering employee schedules for those that need to come in to the office.
Also beginning Monday, Texas state parks will re-open for limited overnight camping with an existing reservation. New reservations aren't being accepted yet, and some existing reservations may be canceled to comply with social distancing guidelines.
The re-opening comes as Texas continues to see new highs in infection counts of COVID-19, including setting an all-time record Saturday with 1,801 new cases confirmed. State leaders point to increased testing across the state, including targeted surge testing efforts such as one in Amarillo that officials say helped to identify more than 700 confirmed cases. Sunday, officials said 785 new cases were confirmed with 31 new deaths.
Abbott will hold a news conference Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the State Capitol on the state's continued efforts to open up the economy.
