ABILENE, TX — The Abilene Trauma Service Area was below 15% COVID hospital capacity for the seventh day in a row.
That means restrictions — such as bar closures and reduced restaurant capacity — will be lifted for the first time in nearly two months.
Taylor County Judge Downing Bolls said he is notifying the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission of his intent to “opt-in” to allow bars and similar establishments to reopen at 50% of capacity. Other businesses — such as restaurants — can go back to 75% of capacity.
” While I am certainly encouraged by the progress we have made over the last week, I caution that this encouragement is guarded at best,” said Bolls. “The public should remain vigilant and responsive to the threat that COVID-19 continues to pose to our County … Tracing has shown us that this exposure is occurring at schools, workplaces, and those gatherings with friend groups and family members outside of their own household.”
As of Tuesday, 9.28% the people hospitalized in Trauma Service Area “D” tested positive for COVID-19. That is the lowest since Nov. 17.
“Keeping it there is everyone’s responsibility and if citizens return to “life as normal” we will again be back to the restrictions we are now coming out of,” said Bolls. “The future really is in our hands.”
Trauma Service Area “D” includes Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Shackleford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor and Throckmorton counties.
