Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, has given the thumbs up to outdoor professional sporting events in most of the state's 254 counties, allowing 25% capacity beginning Friday, according to his new proclamation.
Currently, five counties in Texas are prohibited from hosting any sporting events.
San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas all have the go-ahead to host sporting events once they get approval from the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS).
The state health agency will give approval to facilities “that operate under guidelines that facilitate appropriate social distancing,” the proclamation reads.
The health department recommends wearing facemasks and using hand sanitizer in public.
Abbott had previously permitted some professional sports to resume without fans.
“If you want a prediction, my prediction is yes, we are gonna have college football beginning as scheduled ...with at least some level of fans in stands,” Abbott said Friday during an interview with KXAN-TV.
As of Thursday night, Texas has had 59,776 coronavirus cases, including 1,601 deaths, according to the state health department.
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.