Brazos County Judge Duane Peters has agreed to allow bars to reopen following Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order.
According to an Oct. 12 press release, after consideration with local leaders Peters is planning to implement the same requirements for bars as the executive order from Abbott, issued on Oct. 7. Bars with a permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission may reopen at 50 percent capacity. Peters requested approval from the commission, which will go into effect on Oct. 14 if approved.
Abbott’s order listed the forms of establishment allowed to reopen, as well as other COVID-19 precautionary measures.
“Where applicable, this 50 percent occupancy limit applies only indoors; the limit does not apply to outdoor areas, events or establishments, although social distancing and other protocols must be followed,” the GA-32 order states.
The press release states that Brazos County constables J.P. Ingram and Isaac Butler will be enforcing the CDC guidelines and requirements from the executive order in local bars.
Peters said he is hopeful this will help those put out of work by the pandemic.
“The bar owners have been waiting patiently for this news,” Peters said. “I hope this can be another step in reestablishing the livelihoods of those affected by the COVID-19 shutdowns.”
To date, Brazos County has had 7,016 positive cases, 63 deaths and 79,599 total COVID-19 tests performed. 614 cases of COVID-19 are considered active as of Oct. 12.
For more information on COVID-19 in Brazos County, visit http://brazoshealth.org/covid19-dashboard.