Texas Governor Greg Abbott Prepares to Open More Businesses

Governor Greg Abbott made the decision last week to open some Texas businesses on May 1st. He announced at a press conference Tuesday that he's adding more to the list.

Barbershops, hair salons, tanning salons, and nail salons will all be allowed to reopen Friday, May 8th.

Gyms will be able to open on May 18th at 25 percent capacity, but the showers and locker rooms will remain closed.

Non-essential manufacturers can also resume on May 18th, with a staggered workflow and 25 percent occupancy.

Governor Abbott said the guidelines would be posted on the State of Texas' website.

During the press conference, Gov. Abbott said that 427,210 Texans have been tested for coronavirus as of May 5th. Of those tested, 33,369 have tested positive for COVID-19. He added that 906 Texans have died, and there were 15,672 active cases. Texas has doubled its COVID-19 testing in the last week alone, Abbott said, with 19,000 Texans being tested on Tuesday alone.

Gov. Abbott says it's up to Texans following the guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and hygiene that essential businesses have been using since March. He also clarified that funerals, memorials, burials, and weddings should use the same seating guidelines he put forth for church services last week.