Here's how Gov. Abbott plans to reopen retail businesses in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- A slow reopening of Texas is underway with orders that allow retail shops to sell items curbside, lets visitors return to state parks and puts doctors back in operating rooms after they were banned for weeks from performing nonessential surgeries.

The eased restrictions came after Pres. Donald Trump gave governors a road map for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott said he would announce another phase of reopening on April 27.

The governor's second Executive Order (GA-16) relates to the safe, strategic reopening of select services and activities in Texas. This order establishes a temporary "Retail-To-Go" model that will allow retail outlets in Texas to reopen beginning this coming Friday. Under this model, reopened establishments are required to deliver items to customer's cars', homes, or other locations to minimize contact.

Employees returning to work must follow the following guidelines:

• All employees must be trained on environmental cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.

• All employees must be screened before coming into the business for new or worsening cough; shortness of breath; sore throat; loss of taste or smell; feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit; or known close contact with a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. Any employee who meets any of these criteria should be sent home.

• Upon entering the business, employees must wash or sanitize hands.

• All employees must wear face coverings.

• Employees must maintain at least 6 feet separation from one another.

Customers who shop at the retail shops must follow the following guidelines:

• Customers may purchase items from a retail location for pickup, delivery by mail, or delivery to the customer's doorstep, but may not enter the premises.

Retail to-go:

• All payments should be done over the phone or internet, if possible, and contact should be minimized if remote payment is not available.

• Purchased items should be delivered by the employee to the backseat or trunk of the customer's vehicle whenever possible to minimize physical contact with the customer.

• Employees must wash or sanitize their hands after each interaction with a customer, and whenever possible, must disinfect any item that came into contact with the customer.

Doorstep delivery:

• All payments should be done over the phone or internet, if possible, and contact should be minimized if remote payment is not available.

• Purchased items should be delivered by an employee or third-party carrier and delivered to the customer's doorstep. The employee or third-party carrier may not enter the customer's house or business.

Retail delivery by mail:

• All payments must be done over the phone or internet. Purchased items should be delivered by mail without customer contact.

• The customer should wash or sanitize their hands after the transaction.

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