North Texas businesses again having to deal with scaled back COVID-19 restrictions

GARLAND, Texas - It’s Deja Vu for restaurants, gyms, and other businesses across North Texas, as they are again forced to further scale back capacity.

That’s because the number of people in area hospitals with COVID-19 stayed above the threshold set by the governor, 15%, for a week.

The rollback and restrictions come at what is one of the busiest times of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For retail and restaurants, the restrictions and roll back are a hit to the bottom-line and another hurdle to try to overcome

“For us to be able to roll back, we've done it before. This is the second rollback that we'll try to do,” said Kevin Ashade, who is the owner of Pangea Restaurant & Bar.

Ashade's Pangea Restaurant in Garland has already gone through the paces of closing its doors completely last spring.

They began operating at less capacity, with distancing and thermometers inside, along with lots of spaced seating outside, and creativity to add, and not lay off staff

“We opened up a coffee shop, bakery side, so that’s been very, very well, and that’s how we've been able to employ more employees,” he explained.

But because more than 15% of hospital capacity in North Texas is occupied with COVID-19 patients for at least seven days, now restaurants must scale back to 50% capacity, gyms also, and bars that have opened now have to close.

“These restrictions won't change anything. It’s up to all of us to make better decisions,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

“I don’t think we've seen any meaningful impact from what we will anticipate to see from Thanksgiving yet,” explained Dr. Mark Casanova, with the Dallas County Medical Society.

Dr. Casanova said what put us in this position are decisions made before folks traveled for Thanksgiving.

“Individuals becoming more relaxed with these strong mitigation measures, and that’s what we're seeing. There’s going to be regrettably more to come as we see the Thanksgiving effect,” he said.

“It’s not good. This is a time when certain businesses always do a big recovery,” said SMU economics professor Mike Davis.

The season for recovery for many businesses has been rolled back because of COVID occupancy restrictions.

“If you own a restaurant or own a bar, it’s tough, but it we don’t get this surge under control, it could be much, much worse,” Davis added.

Ashade said restaurants need customers to trust they are doing all they can to keep people safe and serve them.

“If we're able to give that trust, that same trust that you would give your grandma, your mom, everybody to cook for you. Let us do that for y’all. That’s how to kind of keep the restaurant and food industry alive also,” he said.

North Texas counties have also been ordered to pause elective surgeries and procedures, per Gov. Abbott’s executive order, but there’s a caveat. The order maintains the surgery is allowed if it “would not deplete any hospital capacity needed to cope with the COVID-19 disaster.”

“A vaccine is coming down the pipe, that’s fantastic. It’s not here tomorrow,” Dr. Casanova said.

Dr. Casanova said COVID-19 hospitalizations are likely not going below 15% until at least next year.

“I would be shocked if that would happen,” he added.

Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth said it has not canceled any elective surgeries or procedures.

Methodist Health System in Dallas said, for now, it’s confident it can care for all COVID-19 patients while still carrying out elective surgeries.

Parkland Hospital in Dallas said it’ll follow all regulations relating to all surgeries.

And Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas said it’s working to have a plan by next week.