Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hints at possibly reopening bars with 'cheers' tweet
AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appears to be planning the next phase of the state's reopening and it might include bars.
In a tweet posted by Abbott on Monday, the governor dropped the hint saying, "Texans have continued to keep COVID-19 under control."
"The hospitalizations, number of new positive cases, and positivity rate remain contained," continued Abbott. "[Monday] was one of the lowest for fatalities in a long time."
He went on to say he will be announcing more reopening plans soon. The tweet, however, was paired with a GIF of two mugs of beer clinking with the word "cheers," giving Texans the idea that he might be referring to bars.
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There is no official word on any new reopening announcements. According to the latest statistics, one in five bars in the state are currently open under a restaurant license with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which means the majority of their revenue has to come from food sales.
The commission reports 1,914 bars applications have been approved statewide. In total, 2,275 have applied.
Hours after the governor posted the tweet, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins responded to the governor saying he strongly opposes reopening bars right now.
"The Dallas County Public Health Committee, made up of experts in infectious disease and public health, strongly discourages the reopening of bars at this time," wrote Jenkins. "Unfortunately, we are now seeing an increase in daily new cases and hospitalizations in North Texas."
Texas restaurants have been allowed to operate at 75% capacity for a few weeks, but bars remained closed.
