Houston Restaurant Packed as Texas Returns to Business as Usual

A restaurant in Houston, Texas, was full of people on Wednesday night, May 13, almost two weeks after Gov Greg Abbott’s “Strike Force to Open Texas” permitted restaurants across the state to reopen.

The state of Texas began reopening May 1, according to Gov Abbott’s reopening plan, allowing some businesses and restaurants to resume operation at 25 percent capacity. Bars have not been officially permitted to reopen, spurring rallies from bar-owners in Austin.

This video shows the crowded scene inside the Prospect Park Restaurant in Houston, where patrons were observed sharing hookah.

As of May 13, Texas had reported 42,403 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 1,158 deaths. Credit: Paris Simone via Storyful