Grimes County Ordered to Reduce Business Capacity Due to TSA Hospitalization Rate
Grimes County, TX — On December 28, 2020, Grimes County Judge Joe Fauth III received notification from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) that Trauma Service Area N (in which Grimes County is located) has surpassed the limit set forth by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Executive Order GA-32.
Per GA-32, a Trauma Service Area is considered a “high hospitalization” area if it has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent.
Because TSA N has sustained high hospitalization rates as determined by GA-32, subject to the exceptions contained in GA-32, all businesses currently operating at an increased capacity of 75 percent occupancy under GA-32 must reduce their occupancy to 50 percent, all bars that were allowed to open at a 50 percent occupancy under GA-32 must close and all elective surgeries are prohibited in Grimes County. These changes are effective immediately according to the letter received from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS).
While the Governor and TABC both offer an appeal process for this reduction of capacity, Grimes County does not qualify. Per the DSHS, to qualify for this exemption, Grimes County must have fewer than 30 total cases of COVID-19 reported over the last 14 days. We are currently more than twice the number.
Per GA-32, this rollback in occupancy may be reversed once hospitalization rates have been 15 percent or less for at least 7 consecutive days.
Grimes County and DHSH will continue to monitor COVID-19 data and will update residents as more information becomes available from the State of Texas.
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