Amusement parks throughout Texas will be allowed to open up starting Friday with 50 percent normal operating capacity.
Prior to June 19, only amusement parks in counties with less than 1,000 confirmed cases could open.
Parks will have to open with new health and safety protocols, including disinfecting rides and temperature screening employees for the virus.
The opening of the parks represents the last section of Gov. Greg Abbott’s third phase of reopening. Details for the fourth phase of reopening have not been released.
The number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations in Texas has spiked in recent days as local leaders battle Abbott for authority in issuing mask orders — something it turned out, Abbott failed to inform they could do anyway.
Texas is expected to surpass 100,000 cases of coronavirus this weekend. On Tuesday, 3,516 new cases were reported in the state, the highest number yet, and arriving during a week with relatively uniform daily test totals.
Photo: Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
