State Orders 50% Occupancy Limits Amid WilCo Coronavirus Rise

Tony Cantu
Updated ·4 min read

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Some businesses in Williamson County on Sunday began operating at 50 percent capacity amid surges of the coronavirus, officials said.

The reduced occupancy levels are dictated by Executive Order GA-32 previously issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, county officials said. Williamson and other counties encompassed in Trauma Service Area Region O have had seven consecutive days at a high coronavirus hospitalization rate that triggered the reductions, officials explained.

The governor's GA-32 executive order issued on Wednesday supersedes his previous GA-30 order. The newest order updates thresholds for areas with high hospitalizations. In addition to lowered occupancy limites for businesses, the bolstered order temporarily halts elective surgeries.

Read more about Executive Order GA-32

Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, wrote a letter to Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell on Sunday alerting to the region's high illness spread requiring a reduction in occupancy limits for area businesses. County officials provided Patch with a copy of the notification letter.

"The new definition of areas with high hospitalizations is: Any Trauma Service Area (TSA) that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent, until such time as the Trauma Service Area has seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity is 15 percent or less," Hellerstedt advised. "Under the criteria laid out in GA-32, your area, TSA O, meets the definition of a high hospitalization area and so may not conduct elective surgeries or reopen to the higher levels allowable under GA-32."

In addition to Williamson, TSA O includes Bastrop; Blanco; Burnet; Caldwell; Fayette; Hays; Lee; Llano; San Saba; and Travis counties.

Hellerstedt explained that GA-32 allows counties in Trauma Service Areas with high hospitalizations to choose to operate at 75 percent capacity under a set of criteria:

  • The county has fewer than 30 cases reported over the last 14 days.

  • The county judge submits an attestation to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

County health district officials telegraphed the potential of reducing business occupancy levels on Thursday after the regional hospitalization rate climbing to 15 percent the previous Sunday. The county has been under the highest Stage 5 alert level indicating uncontrolled spread of coronavirus since Nov. 19, 2020.

The governor's order states that bars or similar establishments that are not restaurants cannot operate indoors on premises, but may offer drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options as authorized by the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC), officials explained at the time. The occupancy limit applies only to indoor and not outdoor areas, events, or establishments, although social distancing and other safety protocols must be followed, officials added.

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A rollback to occupancy limits does not affect businesses such as religious services, local government operations, child care services, youth camps, recreation sports programs for youth and adults, public or private schools, and drive-in concerts, movies or similar events, which are listed as having no occupancy limit according to the executive order.

Personal-care and beauty services can operate with at least six feet of social distancing between work stations. For a list of all exempted businesses and events under the governor's order, click here.

"It has never been more crucial for us as a community to reduce the spread of this virus," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. ""We all must consistently follow the personal protective measures we have been emphasizing throughout the course of this pandemic. Please wear a mask, watch your distance around people outside your household, and wash your hands frequently. This is the best way to keep ourselves and our family members safe and reduce the number of people being hospitalized daily."

According to Governor Abbott's Executive Order GA-32, businesses that have been required to roll back to a 50 percent occupancy limit may return to 75 percent occupancy when the TSA hospitalization rate for COVID-19 returns to below 15 percent for seven consecutive days.

Additional information on GA-32 and data on hospitalizations is available from the Texas Department of State Health Services here.


This article originally appeared on the Cedar Park-Leander Patch