Local bars, restaurants hit by new regs
Hospital here says elective medical procedures and surgery usually OK
Bars and restaurants in Bowie County took a hit Monday morning after a high rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations triggered a state-ordered business and medical restrictions, resulting in closures and capacity restrictions.
A letter from the Texas Department of State Health Services notified County Judge Bobby Howell that hospitalizations in the eight-county region have exceeded 15% of capacity for seven consecutive days, meaning elective medical procedures must stop, bars must close and restaurants will be restricted to 50% capacity until hospitalizations in the area get and remain under 15% capacity for seven consecutive days.
For many business owners, still reeling from nine months of more of the pandemic, this was not good news and it threw a monkey wrench into their recovery plans.
Roger Sheppard, who owns Redbone Magic Brewing on the Texas side, expressed displeasure with how the situation is being handled by government officials. Redbone has to reduce its capacity to 50%.
“We will definitely abide by the mandate because we follow the law,” Sheppard said. “But it’s unfair that we’re not shutting down or limiting the capacity to Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart and all the big ones. I’m also pissed about the fact that government officials are not losing their income, and they’re not losing any ground in their livelihood.
“They seem to feel above the law in that they’re seen out without masks and in large groups. They do everything they want to do, but yet, they expect us to abide by their rules and laws.”
Sheppard said this is a major setback to the growth of his business, which has seen about a 30% decline in gross receipts due to the pandemic.
“When you’re a new business, and you’re having to spend a lot of money trying to finish or improve your place, like we were trying to do, then any time you drop to that level, you stop the ability to increase and bring new stuff in that will keep people happy and satisfied,” he said. “We’ve had good support through a lot of people because they are dying to have something fun in Texarkana, but when you socially close out everything, and everybody stays at home, the damage and the carnage that’s left behind is much greater than what few die from COVID19.”
While Texarkana, Texas, businesses are dealing with restrictions, Gavin Lesnick, Public Information Director for the Arkansas Department of Health, said there is no traction towards Arkansasside bars or restaurants undergoing similar changes.
“I don’t know of any movement on that front right now,” Lesnick said. “It currently depends on which side (of the state line) you’re on.”
Donna Hebert, manager of the Crazy Horse Saloon in Texarkana, Arkansas, said she doesn’t know what she would do if Arkansas-side bars closed down.
“I sure hope they don’t close us down,” Hebert said. “If they start closing us all back down, a lot of us aren’t going to open back up ever. It’s gonna put a lot of people out of jobs and having to find a new job. I’ve been a bartender for 25 years. I don’t know what I would do.”
Sheppard raised concerns of overlap between citizens who spend time on both sides of the state line on a frequent basis.
“I think it would be counterproductive to not have the same rules on both sides of the city,” he said.
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System is able to continue providing elective procedures including outpatient surgery for most of its patients.
A press release late Monday shared the health system’s stance on elective procedures.
“They do not require inpatient care and do not impact our ability to care for COVID patients. We expect to be able to provide a full range of services – not just COVID care. Elective cases requiring inpatient stay will be reviewed for appropriateness,” the release states.
“Like the entire region and health care facilities across the country, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System is seeing an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 and a rise in COVID patients in our hospitals, in some cases reaching their highest levels to date.”
“It is important that the public knows that our medical experts anticipated and planned for these surges and we are ready to care for patients. This preparation includes closely monitoring vital medical supplies and equipment, as well as evaluating possible expansion of space and beds to care for COVID patients, should the need arise.”