Texas To Reopen Water Parks, Food Courts, More

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a proclamation allowing additional services and activities to resume — including water parks and food courts — as he seeks to reignite a state economy stalled by the coronavirus.

Under the proclamation, driver education programs, food-court dining areas within shopping malls, recreational sports programs for adults and water parks can reopen with limited occupancy and regulations designed to protect the health and safety of residents.

To that end, water parks can open beginning Friday at 25 percent occupancy. Water parks that have video arcades must keep those components closed, however. Starting Sunday, recreational sports programs for adults can resume but games and other sporting competitions cannot resume until June 15. Driver education classes can resume immediately, according to the gubernatorial proclamation.

View the Governor's proclamation.

Food-court dining areas within shopping malls can also immediately resume operations per the proclamation, but malls are encouraged to designate one or more individuals who are responsible for ensuring health and safety practices are followed, including: limiting tables to six individuals; maintaining a six-feet distance between individuals sitting at different tables; cleaning and disinfecting tables between uses; and ensuring no condiments or other items are left on tables between customer uses.

Minimum standard health protocols outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services are recommended and located on the Open Texas webpage.