NOW, THEREFORE, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas, and in accordance with guidance from the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Dr. John Hellerstedt, other medical advisors, the White House, and the CDC, do hereby order the following on a statewide basis effective at 12:01 a.m. on September 21, 2020:

Every business establishment in Texas shall operate at no more than 50 percent of the total listed occupancy of the establishment; provided, however, that:

1. There is no occupancy limit for the following:

a.   any services listed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, Version 4.0 or any subsequent version;

b.   religious services, including those conducted in churches, congregations, and houses of worship;

c.   local government operations, including county and municipal governmental operations relating to licensing (including marriage licenses), permitting, recordation, and document-filing services, as determined by the local government;

d.   child-care services;

e.   youth camps, including but not limited to those defined as such under Chapter 141 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and including all summer camps and other daytime and overnight camps for youths;

f.    recreational sports programs for youths and adults;

g.   any public or private schools, and any public or private institutions of higher education, not already covered above; and

h.   drive-in concerts, movies, or similar events, under guidelines that facilitate appropriate social distancing, that generally require spectators to remain in their vehicles, and that minimize in-person contact between people who are not in the same household or vehicle.

2.   The following types of business establishments may operate at up to 75 percent of the total listed occupancy of the establishment, except for those establishments in areas with high hospitalizations as defined below:

a.   in-store, non-CISA retail establishments;

b.   dine-in restaurants, as defined below in paragraph No. 7;

c.   non-CISA office buildings;

d.   non-CISA manufacturers;

e.   museums and libraries; and

f.    gyms and exercise facilities and classes.

Governor Abbott Issues Executive Order To Open Bars In Qualifying Counties

https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-issues-executive-order-to-open-bars-in-qualifying-counties

Governor Greg Abbott today issued an Executive Order to open bars and similar establishments at up to 50% capacity in conjunction with county officials. In hospital regions with low COVID-19 hospitalizations, County Judges will be able to opt their county into opening bars beginning October 14th, provided they assist in enforcing health protocols. The Governor's Executive Order also increases the occupancy levels for all business establishments other than bars to 75%. 

Beginning Wednesday, October 14, all counties where COVID-19 hospitalizations are less than 15% of hospital capacity can open all businesses other than bars to 75% capacity. 

Additionally, the Governor released a web video with his Executive Order, encouraging Texans to continue following best practices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their communities.