WilCo Bars To Reopen This Week Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Bars in Williamson County will be allowed to reopen starting Wednesday under 50 percent occupancy limits, the county judge said Tuesday.

In making the announcement, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said the openings will be adherent to the governor's standard health protocols. The move follows an executive order issued Oct. 7 by Gov. Greg Abbott allowing a reopening of establishments that serve alcoholic drinks in qualifying counties if the area does not have high rates of hospitalizations for the coronavirus and if county judges in those areas sign an opt-in form allowing for bars to reopen.

Gravell previously vowed to be the first county judge in Texas to allow bars to open following the gubernatorial order, and submitted his opt-in form to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission the day after the governor's order "...so that more Williamson County businesses can be open to serve the public," he explained in an advisory.

"Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell wants Williamson County to be open for business," a previous advisory alerting to the judge's agreement with the governor's order read. "He plans to be the first county judge in Texas to opt in..." the statement continued.

Previous coverage:

• Bars Set To Reopen In Texas At 50% Occupancy Amid Coronavirus
• WilCo Judge Vows To Allow Bars' Reopening By Oct. 14, 2020

“Williamson County residents have shown that they can follow guidelines established to stop the spread of COVID-19 and get back to business," Gravell said in a prepared statement. "Not business as usual, but business that is conducted following the protocols determined by health professionals to keep everyone safe. We need all of our businesses to be open and operate safely so that everyone has the opportunity to work and support their families.”

Given their close quarters where revelers gather en masse, bars have remained closed amid the pandemic even as other businesses have been allowed to reopen at limited occupancy. Abbott at one point allowed bars to reopen only to order another round of closures as illness levels consequently spiked.

At last check, there have been 8,917 cases of COVID-19 since the onset of respiratory illness along with 144 deaths as recorded on a Williamson County and Cities Health District statistical dashboard. According to the dashboard, 23 new cases of the respiratory illness emerged on Sunday. According to the data, 14 county residents are currently hospitalized — including six each at intensive care units and ventilators.

Hospital resources have steadily dwindled as the illness extends its reach, as illustrated on the dashboard: Available hospital beds in the county have dropped to 25 percent, with intensive care unit beds at 27 percent availability. Ventilators are more plentiful, with 81 percent of the supply available as recorded on the dashboard.

As Williamson County prepares for bars to reopen, officials issued guidelines for patrons in an emailed advisory:

• "Some of the health protocols include that patrons at bars or similar establishments may eat or drink only while seated, except that in an establishment that holds a permit from TABC as a brewer, distiller/rectifier, or winery, customers may sample beverages while standing so long as they are in a group of six people or fewer and there is at least six feet of social distancing or engineering controls, such as partitions, between groups."
• "Where applicable, this 50 percent occupancy limit applies only indoors; the limit does not apply to outdoor areas, events, or establishments, although social distancing and other protocols must be followed."
• "In providing or obtaining services, every person should use good-faith efforts and available resources to follow the minimum standard health protocols recommended by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) found here."

In the county advisory, officials added: "Nothing in the governor’s Executive Order GA-32 or the DSHS [the state's Department of State Health Services] minimum standards precludes requiring a customer to follow additional hygiene measures when obtaining services."