In early April, New York was averaging over 11,000 COVID-19 cases daily while Texas had 800. On a May visit to the White House, Gov. Greg Abbott was lauded by President Trump for his COVID-19 response. Two months later, on July 1, Texas had over 8,000 new cases while New York had 800 new cases. The once applauded response is now considered a prime example of reopening prematurely.

Gov. Abbott’s plan led to the extreme spike in cases in recent weeks. Opponents of his policies argue that it was driven by restoring the economy rather than public safety.

• Gov. Abbott announced the “Stay at Home” order on March 31.
• On May 1, Texas started phase one of the reopening process. Churches, businesses and restaurants were opened at 25% capacity.
• Gov. Abbott allowed child care centers, youth clubs and beauty services to reopen to 25% capacity. And by May 31, bars opened at 25%, overnight camps and professional sports’ practices resumed.
• By June 3, restaurants and businesses could open to 50% capacity. On June 12, they could fill their spaces up to 75%. By June 18, carnivals and amusement parks in counties with over 1,000 cases could open up 50%.
• After the cases increased drastically, Gov. Abbott mandated the decrease in capacity and the closure of bars. On July 2, Gov. Abbott required all residents to wear masks in public.
• On April 28, doctors statewide questioned the early opening due to the still increasing case count. With Texas ranking 46th in the nation for test kits per capita, it’s vital that our officials listen to science and prioritize obtaining resources for hospitals.