Gov. Abbott Plans Guidelines Next Week to Restart Texas Economy

Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he'll sign an executive order next week outlining guidelines for reopening Texas businesses shut down over the pandemic.

“Next week I will be providing an executive order talking about what will be done in Texas about reopening Texas businesses,” Abbott said during a Friday news conference, as reported by Fox News. The news conference was also carried on Twitter.

He added that the process will proceed “in a way that will be safe for that economic revitalization.”

Looking to offer reassurance that safety would be at the forefront of any efforts at reopening, he added: “We will focus on protecting lives while restoring livelihoods. We can and we must do this,”

Last month Abbott, like many of his gubernatorial counterparts across the country, issued an executive order closing schools, restaurants, bars and gyms in the state. Back then, he emphasized, “We are doing this now, today, so that we can get back to business as usual more quickly.”

At the White House on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump said he, too, is trying to decide -- the biggest decision of his life, he suggested -- when to ease government social distancing guidelines, part of efforts to get states and the U.S. economy back to work.

"I would say without question it’s the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make," the president, eager to see the struggling economy recover from the protracted shutdown, said at his daily briefing on the White House's virus response efforts.