Cameron County reopens bars at 50% capacity

Alejandra Yañez | THE RIDER

Last Friday, bars in Cameron County were allowed to reopen at 50% capacity, officials announced. 

“Following the guidance of the governor’s orders and GA-32 and TABC regulations and upon our executive decision, the bars and related establishments will be allowed to open within 50% occupancy capacity,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said during a news conference last Friday. 

Treviño said all patrons in bars must minimize the removal of facial coverings to when they are eating or drinking. 

“These bars and other establishments must adhere to all applicable conditions of this order, Gov. [Greg] Abbott’s executive order,” Treviño said.

The order states that all bars must adhere to the 11 p.m. closure requirement in GA-32 and the curfew from the Sixth Amended Emergency Management Order.

“In the event of documented infections at bars or similar establishments, or an increase of rates of cases or infections, this provision may be revoked,” Treviño said. 

The judge addressed the issue with restaurants that have been serving alcohol and violating the curfew. 

“With regard to the restaurants that have been opening and that have been serving alcohol, especially those that seem to think that they can violate the curfew, those restaurants that serve alcohol and their patrons must adhere t0 the curfew contained in this order,” Treviño said. 

The judge said the county is counting on bar owners and operators, management and staff to follow these guidelines for the protection of themselves and their patrons so that they can remain open. 

“Trust me, we want to have everybody open but we have to be mindful of the reality of the world in which we live in and our country,” Treviño said. “The rest of the country, as you can see in the news, is suffering severe spikes in positivity rates.”

The judge said people must continue to social distance, wear masks, wash their hands and practice good hygiene to avoid a potential second wave in Cameron County. 

“The indications are that the next wave is on its way and the only way we can prevent that is by each of us continuing to do what’s gotten us to this point,” he said.

With Halloween approaching, Treviño reiterated that he will prohibit door-to-door trick-or-treating, direct handling of treats and congregations of groups larger than 10 persons without a facial covering. 

Asked during the news conference why he changed his mind about reopening the bars, Treviño replied that after speaking with experts, he made the decision. 

“I can’t just make a decision in a vacuum,” Treviño said. “I have to think about all the effects that it may have. So, I have to speak to [Cameron County Health Authority] Dr. [James] Castillo and [Health Administrator] Esmer [Guajardo] and business owners and get their input.”

He said he spoke to several bar owners throughout the county and while many agreed to the reopening, many also disagreed. 

The judge said the reality is that restaurants are at 75% capacity and he would like to give bars the opportunity to at least reopen at 50%, as long as they abide by the guidelines. 

“I’m not going to lie; I am very concerned about what can happen,” Treviño said in Spanish, answering a question from a Spanish TV network reporter. “If we see numbers go back up, we have the authority to close or change the order, but I want to give [bars] that opportunity.”