Dallas – A small group of businesses in Texas reopened on Friday in defiance of a state disposition against the coronavirus, which allows establishments to offer “to go” service but maintains other restrictions in force.
In Dallas, the owner of a beauty salon, Shelley Luther, received a subpoena at noon but refused to close her store. Luther had two stylists and a nail expert working, a fraction of his regular staff. Several people came to support her, including a man with a long gun turned into a pole for a Texas flag with a coiled snake saying “Don’t step on me.”
A restaurant in the Houston area opened to serve customers who wanted to eat inside, delimiting the tables available by the color of the tablecloth to ensure social distancing. A table with a white tablecloth was available. The one with a black one doesn’t.
“The right to reopen in a safe way should be our right,” said Matt Brice, owner of Federal American Grill, located in the upscale sector of Hedwig Village. “They shouldn’t tell us that we have to close our business.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced several decrees earlier this month to reopen the state economy, but services within beauty salons and restaurants are not yet allowed. More than 1.3 million people have applied for unemployment assistance in the state since mid-March, and unemployment has soared nationwide due to the closure of businesses due to the coronavirus.
Texas accumulates 593 deaths and 22,806 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The number of infections is probably much higher because many people have not been tested and, according to studies, a person can be infected without feeling sick.
Abbot has reopened state parks and allowed medical providers to resume non-emergency surgeries, including abortions. On Friday, businesses were authorized to start selling take-away items. Some of the largest shopping malls in Texas designed plans for shoppers to arrive in their vehicles and pick up the merchandise they ordered.
Texas has not gone as far as other states with Republican governors. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp allowed certain businesses, including gyms, beauty salons, and tattoo parlors, to reopen on Friday despite objections from some Democratic mayors.
Luther, the owner of the Salon A La Mode esthetician in Dallas, said she did not know how much the summons she received was going to cost her, but assured that she is not going to pay it.
“We are all wearing protective gear. We are disinfecting everything. Everything is completely hygienic in there, ”he said, adding that he does not allow anyone to enter without a mask. He said his business has been open for almost three years and invested him about $ 35,000.
“If I lose it, I have no savings,” he said.
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