Gov. Abbott hints at easing coronavirus restrictions

Gov. Greg Abbott appears poised to ease coronavirus restrictions in Texas, citing a decline in hospitalizations across the state.

“Since my last orders in July, Covid numbers have declined — most importantly hospitalizations,” he tweeted Monday evening. “I hope to provide updates next week about next steps.”

The governor did not provide additional information, and an Abbott spokesman did not return requests for comment.

His tweet was in response to a complaint about restrictions on restaurants. In late June, Abbott rolled back occupancy limits for restaurants from 75% to 50% amid rising cases. At the same time, he shuttered bars.

In recent weeks, Abbott has indicated that he would consider two benchmarks before easing restrictions:

A decline in the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in Texas hospitals, although he didn’t specify an acceptable level.

The daily rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus among those tested — a measure of the spread of the virus in an area, called the positivity rate — dropping below 10% for a "sustained period of time."

Hospitalizations generally have declined since late July, with state health officials reporting 4,149 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals Wednesday, but that figure is still more than double the number of people hospitalized in April, May and early June.

Confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spiked by the end of June, after Abbott allowed restaurants, bars, retail stores, malls, hair salons and movie theaters to reopen in May.

The state’s seven-day average positivity rate was 9.6% on Tuesday, according to the latest data available from the Texas Department of State Health Services, the first time it had dropped below 10% since June 22.

The positivity rate fluctuated through August because of a backlog of cases and glitches in the state’s reporting system, rising as high as 24.5%. State health officials and Abbott have said those issues are resolved, but it’s still difficult to see an accurate picture of how the rate has changed over the last month.

The World Health Organization has said the positivity rate in an area should remain at 5% or lower before businesses are allowed to reopen.

Limited reopening

Dr. Mark McClellan, one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s medical advisers on reopening the state’s economy, told the American-Statesman on Wednesday that he has not had any recent discussions with the governor about possible reopenings.

“I think it would be pretty limited,” McClellan said of any plans to loosen coronavirus limits.

McClellan added that, although it’s clear that restrictions are working and Abbott’s statewide mask order has helped bring down the number of new cases, it’s not time to let up.

“There still are a number of areas in the state with high levels of COVID transmission,” he said. “Any substantial changes in policy that could increase spread could have important consequences for that.”

With flu season coinciding with the new school year, health experts agree that the state will need additional resources to manage an increase in hospitalizations unrelated to the coronavirus.

“We’re headed into Labor Day weekend; we’re trying to reopen schools. It’s important to remain just as vigilant as we have been as we head into the fall,” McClellan said.

Criticism from both sides

At nearly every turn in his management of the public health crisis, Abbott has faced criticism from Democrats and Republicans.

During Abbott’s monthlong stay-at-home order in April, fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told a Fox News host that the governor’s plan to ease restrictions was “long overdue.”

Patrick downplayed the death toll of 495 at that time (more than 12,000 Texans have now died of the virus) and said the restrictions were “crushing the average worker” and “crushing small business.”

“We got to take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running,” Patrick told Tucker Carlson.

Abbott allowed restaurants and retail to reopen May 1 and then moved to reopen barbershops and hair, nail and tanning salons a week later, ahead of his own schedule amid the jailing of a Dallas hair salon owner who defied restrictions and opened her business and as some GOP officials publicly flouted the rules and sought haircuts. Democrats decried the moves, and public health experts warned that reopening so quickly could have disastrous consequences.

Six weeks later, as Texas grabbed national headlines for rising coronavirus numbers and hospitals nearing capacity, Abbott paused reopening plans, dialed back restaurant occupancy limits, closed bars and halted elective surgeries in some counties. In early July, he ordered masks to be worn in public spaces in counties with more than 20 confirmed cases.

Democrats said the restrictions came too late, attributing the fast spread of the virus to Abbott’s haste to reopen. Meanwhile, some members of his own party have pressured the governor to keep the state open for business.

Newly elected state GOP Chairman Allen West has been outspoken against Abbott’s efforts to contain the pandemic, calling his executive orders “tyranny.”

State Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, told the Statesman on Wednesday that he hopes Abbott will reconsider a number of closures, including bars and tubing companies.

“It’s been very unfortunate that there’s been no legislative input,” he said. “I sure hope that there will be some loosening up of these regulations and that there will be a little bit more common sense.”

There have been bipartisan calls for easing bar closures. The order closed businesses that operate with more than half of their income coming from alcohol sales, which the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission uses to distinguish between restaurants and bars.

Both Republicans and Democrats have called the 51% rule too arbitrary, saying it closes some businesses, including breweries and wineries with large outdoor spaces, that could safely meet social distancing guidelines.

‘Reckless to relax restrictions’

Now, as Abbott seems prepared to loosen some of those restrictions, Democrats warn that a shift could lead to another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Abhi Rahman, a Texas Democratic Party spokesman, noted that the Texas Department of State Health Services has faced data issues when reporting testing, hospitalization and case numbers.

“We all want businesses to succeed. What Abbott continues to lack is a plan to make that happen,” Rahman said in a statement. “If things go poorly again, Abbott has proven he has no idea how to manage crisis situations. Abbott won’t save our economy, consumer confidence will. Thanks to Abbott’s failed coronavirus response thus far, Texas consumers have lost all faith in Greg Abbott. This plan isn’t going to change that.”

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat speaking on behalf of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, urged Abbott to reopen the Capitol — which has remained closed to the public to reduce the spread of the virus — to allow for committee hearings to “exercise oversight on the agencies responsible for reporting the data.”

“It would be reckless to relax restrictions now — how can we feel safe just sending our kids back to school if we can’t know what the actual positivity rate is?” Hinojosa said in a statement. “How can we make thoughtful decisions about what restrictions are truly necessary if we can’t track the metrics the governor stated should determine those decisions? We need increased testing, better data and more responsible leadership.”