Bars and restaurants take another hit in Cass County

The Joint Operations Center for Bowie and Cass counties announced late Sunday, Jan. 3, that bars must close, and restaurants operate at 50 percent capacity due to the area exceeding the 15 percent threshold of capacity in area hospitals.

Bowie County Judge Bobby Howell and Cass County Judge Becky Wilbanks received notification Saturday, Jan. 2, from Dr. John Hellerstedt, Commissioner of Texas Department of State Health Services, notifying them that COVID-19 hospitalizations in Trauma Service Area F (TSA) have exceeded 15 percent of capacity for at least seven consecutive days.

Trauma Service Area F includes Bowie, Cass, Delta, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Red River and Titus counties.

According to Executive Order GA-32 signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in October, due to COVID-19 hospitalizations exceeding 15 percent for at least seven days, elective procedures must stop, bars will close, and restaurants will operate at 50 percent capacity until COVID-19 hospitalizations remain under 15% capacity for seven consecutive days.

GA-32 allows counties within the TSA with high hospitalizations to choose to operate at 75 percent capacity if the county has fewer than 30 cases reported over the last 14 days and the county judge submits an attestation to DSHS.

Texas DSHS reports 220 new cases in Bowie County since Monday, Dec. 27, for a total of 3,102 positive COVID-19 cases, with 124 deaths. There are currently 664 active cases currently in Bowie County.

For Cass County, DSHS reports 64 active cases, 425 probable cases and 50 deaths.