Executive Order Allows All Businesses to Open at Full Capacity on March 10
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-34, lifting the mask mandate in Texas and increasing capacity of all businesses and facilities in the state to 100% beginning Wednesday, March 10 at 12:01 a.m.
Starting March 10
Statewide
Executive Order GA-34 provides that in all counties not in an area with high hospitalizations:
- there are no COVID-19-related operating limits for any business or other establishment; and
- individuals are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings over the nose and mouth wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household, but no person may be required by any jurisdiction to wear or to mandate the wearing of a face covering.
Local Restrictions
Businesses should check local regulations. Under Executive Order GA-34, if COVID-19 hospitalizations in any of the 22 Texas hospital regions get above 15% of the hospital bed capacity in that region for seven straight days, a county judge in that region may use COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
County-level restrictions cannot reduce capacity to less than 50% for any type of entity.
A current list of areas with high hospitalizations will be maintained at the Department of State Health Services website.
Bars and Similar Establishments That Filed With TABC To Qualify as Restaurants
If you reopened as a restaurant by filing a 51% Affidavit with TABC:
- You may begin operating like a bar (i.e., conduct alcohol sales at 51% or more) and you do NOT need to rescind the affidavit or file anything else with TABC.
If you reopened as a restaurant by acquiring a Food and Beverage (FB) Certificate:
- You may begin operating like a bar without filing anything with TABC. You must keep the appropriate sales records, and you may be subject to a future audit of your Food and Beverage (FB) Certificate.
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This article was updated to reflect that GA-34 is now in effect.