May 7
- Dallas County: 5,120 total cases, 251 new cases, and 2 more deaths.
Man...
Breaking News: Neiman Marcus has become the first major department store to file for bankruptcy during the pandemic https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/business/neiman-marcus-bankruptcy.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes
The New York Times (@nytimes) May 7, 2020
This morning, Governor Greg Abbott amended his executive order to stop jailing business owners who reopen their businesses ahead of schedule and violate local shelter-in-place orders. That includes local salon owner Shelley Luther and two Laredo-area salon owners:
BREAKING: @GovAbbott amends his executive order to prohibit the jailing of Texans who defy coronavirus shutdown orders.
He does this in response to the jailing of Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther. #txlege pic.twitter.com/LBNhjwAeFb
Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) May 7, 2020
The Governor in his announcement made a good point: it doesn't make sense to release prisoners due to COVID-19, then turn around and lock up business owners who defy shelter-in-place orders.
In a statement, Abbott says “if correctly applied”, his new order “should free Shelley Luther.” (@wfaa) pic.twitter.com/uDixqnF58y
William Joy (@WilliamJoy) May 7, 2020
Then, the Texas Supreme Court decided to release Luther:
#BREAKING: The Texas Supreme Court has ordered the release of Shelley Luther, a Dallas salon owner who was sentenced to seven days in jail for contempt of court after she violated the governor’s lockdown order (@wfaa) https://twitter.com/oslersctx/status/1258419088696774659
William Joy (@WilliamJoy) May 7, 2020
Now it's important to note that she wasn't in jail because she violated the Governor's executive order, nor does his amendment exonerate her. She violated a judge's order, at least according to this:
This doesn't affect Shelley Luther, a jail spokesman just told me. Luther is in jail for contempt of court because she violated a judge's order. She's not in jail for violating the governor's executive order. https://twitter.com/lmcgaughy/status/1258404594583035904
LaVendrick Smith (@LaVendrickS) May 7, 2020
Make sense? No word on if authorities will rescind the fine.
Those salon owners in Laredo? Already out on bond.
With the excitement of the Blue Angels' flyover yesterday, I missed this:
Wedding events can resume in Texas under Gov. Abbott's latest orders
Below a breakdown of what those guidelines are:
- Wedding ceremonies held at an indoor venue, other than a church or house of worship is only allowed 25% occupancy.
- Facilities hosting wedding receptions must limit their occupancy to 25% of the total listed occupancy. These occupancy limits do not apply to the outdoor areas of a wedding reception or to outdoor wedding receptions.
- Ceremonies must follow the same rules as church services. This means every other row must be blocked off and only members of the same household should six together at tables.
- Tables should be spaced six feet apart from one another and guests should practice social distancing.
NBA says facilities can open this Friday. Perhaps the NHL will follow suit soon.
The NBA has informed all of its franchises that their facilities may open on Friday and be used on a voluntary basis by up to four individual players, as long as local or state guidelines are followed.