DFW bars close, businesses cut capacity as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit 7-day mark – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth



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What there is to know

  • Percentage of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 exceeds 15% for seven consecutive days in ASD-E
  • Non-essential businesses should immediately roll back and revert to previous restriction levels
  • TSA-E must have seven consecutive days below 15% before restrictions are lifted

For at least the next week, many businesses in North Texas are now immediately subject to tougher restrictions after seven consecutive days the percentage of COVID-19 patients in area hospitals has exceeded 15%.

This 7-day mark is the threshold at which Gov. Greg Abbott described in Executive Order GA-32 where the 22 Texas TSA counties must reverse reopening restrictions to help ease the strain on the healthcare system.

To this end, all non-essential businesses, such as restaurants, retail stores, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, gyms and exercise facilities, museums and libraries, must immediately reduce the rate. occupancy of 75% to 50%. Bars in these CSTs, defined as establishments with 51% or more sales of alcohol products, must also close immediately. Approved hospitals are required to stop elective surgeries.

“It was expected,” said Sammy Mandell, owner of Greenville Avenue Pizza Company. “It’s just a matter of alerting the staff and making sure that we are putting in as many protocols as possible and doing our part to keep everyone safe.”

On Thursday evening, Mandell said there had been no official announcement as to when the new requirement would go into effect.

Judge Glen Whitley of Tarrant County joined NBC 5 to discuss business setbacks due to COVID-19 hospitalizations Whitley discusses restrictions, public health liability and more.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins both told NBC DFW that, per the governor’s order, it would be immediately.

“When the trigger is pulled, the restrictions kick in,” Justice Whitley said.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins discusses COVID-19 hospitalizations and restrictions, Thursday, December 3, 2020.

The restrictions imposed by GA-32 will remain in place until the number of COVID-19 hospital patients falls below 15% for seven consecutive days.

For Thursday, the Texas State Department Health Department reported that the percentage of COVID-19 patients with ASD-E was 15.56%. That number, while still above the governor’s 15% threshold, has fallen for two consecutive days from a high of 16.4% on December 1.

The following 19 counties are included in TSA E and are subject to the same restrictions unless that county qualifies separately for the highest occupancy levels as it has minimal cases of COVID-19 as part of the attestation process DSHS: Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Hood, Hunt, Kaufman, Johnson, Navarro, Parker, Palo Pinto, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Wise.

TSA-F, which is made up of Delta, Hopkins, Lamar and Red River counties, hit five consecutive days over 15% before dropping below that threshold on Thursday.

On Monday, TSA-M, which includes the counties of Bosque, Falls, Hill, Limestone and McLennan to the south, hit a seven-day period of over 15% and immediately began restricting occupancy levels and closing down bars. Until Thursday, TSA-M remains above 15%.



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