GOV. ABBOTT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TODAY — RETAIL BUSINESSES THAT MAY REOPEN IF FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES

4.17.20, 12:00 NOON  – TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER –

For updates, please visit: https://dshs.texas.gov/CORONAVIRUS/

This guidance is intended for employers, employees, and customers of retail businesses reopening under the Governor’s Executive Order issued on April 17, 2020.  

[From what I can gather, this guidance today is considered separate from the previous guidance given to businesses considered essential.  In other words, this guidance today is given to what was previously considered “non-essential businesses.”]

COVID-19: Guidance for Employers, Employees, and Customers of Reopened Retail Services —

file:///C:/Users/Donna%20Garner/Downloads/ReOpenedRetailGuidance.pdf

OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION IN GOV. ABBOTT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TODAY

All public and private Texas classrooms (Pre-K through Grade 12) will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.  Teachers will be allowed to go into their classrooms to retrieve materials.  Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath will soon issue guidelines as will the Texas Higher Education Coordinator for colleges/universities.  

Abbott said that all stores in Texas will be able to operate retail “to-go” beginning next Friday, 4.24.20.

He said that effective April 22, the ban on non-essential surgery will be loosened to allow doctors to diagnose and treat more conditions, such as  diagnostic testing for cancer, without having to get an exemption.

Abbott said state parks will be reopened beginning this coming Monday (4.20.20). Visitors must wear face coverings or masks and maintain a distance of six feet from non-family members and not gather in groups of more than five.

Abbott said he was imposing infection control procedures to better protect residents of nursing homes and senior living centers and to limit movement of staff among the various facilities.