Texas Back on Pause After Surge in COVID-19 Cases & Hospitalizations

On May 1st, nearly eight weeks ago, Texas reopened malls, movie theaters, restaurants and retail stores amid claims by Republican Governor Greg Abbott that the state had slowed the growth of COVID-19.

This policy has come back to haunt Texans. With hospitals beyond capacity and 5,500 new cases alone yesterday, Abbott acknowledged the state is facing "a massive outbreak" of COVID-19 and has put the state back on pause. But what's considered a pause in Texas is different from what is considered a pause in New York:

Those businesses that are already permitted to be open may continue to operate under the existing health protocols and capacity restrictions. Bars and restaurants have already opened for indoor seating, and gyms, malls and movie theaters have been allowed to open, too.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if neighboring states follow suit or whether it will be enough to flatten their rising curves.