The State of Texas May impose a rollback of business capacity across Central Texas due to local hospitals hosting a several Covid patients.
TABC’s Chris Porter explains, for example, the Austin Round Rock Metro Area is part of a larger 11 county Trauma Service Area, and in total at least 15% of that TRA’s hospital bed space is currently being used for COVID cases. Porter says should that percentage maintain for 7 straight days it would trigger harsher restrictions on restaurants and bars.
As part of Governor Greg Abbott’s own executive order, this would order restaurants to go from having 75% capacity limits, down to 50%. While bars, if they are allowed to operate by the county leadership, would instead be forced to shut down, that is until the COVID hospital bed capacity percentage dips back below 15% for another 7 consecutive days.
Porter says, “The Governor’s executive order has taken steps with the intention to reduce crowds at certain areas where there could be a risk for possible transmission of the corona virus.”
Officials with the City of Austin and TABC say they are keeping an eye on the hospital count and say this kind of State order could be triggered next week, or even in the coming days.
