Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe reaffirmed that bars in Travis County will remain closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement about the decision, Biscoe wrote, “In review of the projections for the Austin MSA, there is ongoing concern for the threat of substantial increases in the utilization of hospital beds, ICUs and ventilators. These projections indicate that we may pass the threshold for stage four of our community risk by Nov. 4, 2020. Additionally, there are concerning trends in other metropolitan counties in Texas. The most concerning of which is El Paso where they are experiencing exponential growth of Covid-19 cases and are critically short on hospital and ICU beds. The patterns across Texas create a very concerning picture for November and likely December for our state.” Biscoe recommended that data be collected for an additional 14 days to evaluate whether his recommendation to keep bars shut should change. While an earlier executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott allowed for the reopening of bars in Texas, it left the ultimate decision in the hands of county authorities.
Elizabeth Pagano is the editor of the Austin Monitor. More by Elizabeth Pagano