#Defiant Texas bar owners plan to reopen despite COVID-19 shutdown order

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A patron at West Alabama Ice House in Houston, Texas.
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Hundreds of Texas bar owners vow to reopen Saturday in violation of a June state order put in place as the coronavirus began to surge in the Lone Star State.

Some 800 barkeeps say they will defy Gov. Greg Abbott’s order and participate in what they are calling “Freedom Fest,” according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Chris Polone, who owns Fort Worth’s The Rail Club Live, told the newspaper he organized Freedom Fest and wants the state to allow bars to operate with safety measures in place.

“If you can get every single bar to stand up in solidarity, well, that’s a statement that won’t be ignored,” Polone said.

He said watering holes taking part in Saturday’s event have to follow safety protocols including requiring that patrons wear face coverings.

Texas moved to reopen its economy quickly after the COVID-19 crisis hit, but then saw a surge in cases.

Abbott has said he regretted moving too fast in allowing bars to resume serving.

“If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the opening of bars, now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting,” Abbott said in a June interview.

There were 8,701 new coronavirus cases reported in Texas Friday and 196 deaths, according to the state’s health department.