Texas is preparing to move into Phase Two of reopening the state.
Friday, more businesses, including bars, will be allowed to open and customer capacity is set to increase to 50% in restaurants.
This comes on the heels of UT Southwestern researchers releasing a study that predicts a possible spike in COVID-19 cases during the summer. It is estimated that Dallas County could see 800 new COVID-19 cases daily by July if residents interact as much or more than they are currently.
Dr. Trish Perl, UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Chief of the Infectious Diseases Division, is scheduled to give a briefing to Dallas City council members Thursday. She is expected to address COVID-19 projections for the summer and preventative measures.
Wednesday, Dallas mayor Eric Johnson addressed residents ahead of Phase Two of reopening.
“I’m not going to waste time or energy Monday morning quarterbacking what the governor has already decided, but I am going to caution or residents again that reopening does not mean a return to normal,” Johnson said. “This is not over. We are still in the middle of a pandemic.”
Dallas County tallied 186 new COVID-19 cases Thursday which is a drop from previous days. It prompted Judge Clay Jenkins to say the drop was “a healthy decline.”
