COVID-19 pandemic in Texas

As of July 11, 2020, 2.7 million COVID-19 tests have been reported by the DSHS; of these, 2.49 million were viral tests while 217,000 were antibody tests. The total number of tests passed 100,000 on April 9 and passed 1 million on May 28, 2020.[88] In mid-February, the DSHS provided outlines of coronavirus patient protocols to medical facilities statewide. Possible cases were to be reported to local health departments, with potential viral samples to be sent to the CDC in Atlanta.[89] The agency also prepared laboratories to test for the virus within Texas using kits provided by the CDC.[90][91] The DSHS and TDEM initiated bi-weekly emergency planning meetings with other state agencies after February 27.[90] A laboratory at Texas Tech University in Lubbock became the first laboratory to test for SARS-CoV-2 in Texas.[92] By March 5, six of the ten health labs comprising the state Laboratory Response Network were ready for COVID-19 testing.[93] The Texas National Guard began supporting testing efforts on March 27.[94]

The Texas National Guard was deployed to aid in COVID-19 testing and prevention efforts

In March 2020, The Texas Tribune described the state's pandemic response as a "patchwork system" characterized by its decentralized nature and reliance on locally enacted policies.[95] The following month, WalletHub ranked the Texas as one of the 10 least aggressive states for limiting COVID-19 exposure based on policy decisions, risk factors, and infrastructure.[96]

The DSHS activated a virtual State Medical Operations Center (SMOC) in January 2020 to coordinate data collection and activities between the state and local agencies. The department and local health departments also began assessing recent travelers to Hubei Province in China with respiratory ailments for possible testing for SARS-CoV-2, encouraging individuals to "contact their health care provider if they develop fever, cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of being in Hubei." The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) was tasked with logistical coordination on health supplies with local groups. A briefing was held by Abbott on January 27 concerning the COVID-19 outbreak; HHS Commissioner Courtney Philips, DSHS Health Services Commissioner John William Hellerstedt, and TDEM Chief Nim Kidd delivered the briefing.[97] On January 30, Abbott joined other state governors in a conference call with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, CDC Director Robert Redfield, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, and other health officials to discuss disease mitigation and prevention strategies.[98] State officials from emergency management, health services, law enforcement, public schools, and universities also met the same morning to outline logistics and coronavirus information.[99]

A state of disaster was declared by Abbott for all counties in Texas on March 13, giving emergency powers to Abbott and his administration to order lockdowns.[30][31] Throughout March, the state waived various healthcare and economic regulations.[100] These included waived trucking and licensing regulations for drivers, alcohol delivery from bars and restaurants, and Medicaid regulations.[31][101][102][103] Abbott and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) requested health insurers and health maintenance organizations to waive pandemic-related costs for patients on March 5.[104] The Texas Supreme Court ruled to suspend most eviction proceedings by at least a month on March 19.[105] Several regulations were waived to increase the state's medical workforce;[106][107][108] inactive and retired nurses were allowed to reactivate their licenses and temporary licensing was expedited for out-of-state medical professionals.[109][110] Local governments were authorized to delay local elections for 2020.[111] The federal government supplied $628.8 million in public assistance grants to Texas through FEMA following a federal disaster declaration on March 25.[112] Additional federal funding was also distributed through the CARES Act, Small Business Administration,[113][41]

On March 19, Abbott ordered the temporary prohibition of dining at bars and restaurants and the closure of gyms effective beginning the following day in a series of executive orders. Social gatherings involving more than 10 people were also prohibited.[44][114] Two days later, hospitals were allowed to have more than one patient per room and "elective or non-essential" medical procedures were ordered suspended.[115] A legal dispute emerged after Attorney General Ken Paxton confirmed that most abortions were included in the suspension.[116][117][118] The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas blocked the abortion ban on March 30, which was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on March 31.[119][120] A three-judge panel on the Fifth Circuit reaffirmed the ban on April 10.[121] Texas became the 21st state to activate its National Guard on March 17.[38] The state mandated 14-day quarantines for travelers arriving from pandemic hotspots in the U.S. beginning on March 26 until all travel restrictions were lifted on May 21.[45][122] Abbott initially decided against statewide shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders due to the fact that more than 200 counties did not have any cases in mid-March.[123][124] However, Abbott issued a de facto stay-at-home order on May 31 directing all Texans to remain at home unless conducting essential activities and services and to "minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household." The order exempted places of worship as essential services (subject to social distancing), but Abbott still recommended that remote services be conducted instead. Abbott specifically avoided use of the terms "stay-at-home order" or "shelter-in-place" to describe the order, arguing that they were either misnomers (shelter-in-place usually referred to emergency situations) or did not adequately reflect the goal of the order.[125][126]

Texas Historical Commission historical sites and state parks were closed beginning at 5 p.m. April 7,[127][128] remaining closed until an executive order reopened them on April 20.[129][130] The state government continued to relax regulations regarding medical protocols through April. Pharmacy technicians were authorized to accept over-the-phone prescription drug orders beginning on April 7 and telehealth services were authorized across a broad range of telecommunication media.[131][132] Local emergency medical service providers were allowed to utilize qualified individuals without formal certification.[133] Similar training requirements were waived for other medical fields.[134][135] On May 20, The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House released a letter detailing a plan to reduce the budget of many state agencies by 5 percent as part of the state's preparation for COVID-19's economic impact.[136][137]

Governor Greg Abbott met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on May 7 to discuss the pandemic.

Between May and June 2020, the Texas state government began loosening restrictions on businesses and activities in a series of phases amid the pandemic, allowing businesses to reopen and operate with increasing capacity.[138] Texas was one of the first states to publicize a timetable for lifting restrictions and the underlying plan was one of the most expansive in the country for reopening businesses.[139][140] It began with Phase I on May 1 and continued through Phase III on June 3. Abbott suspended the reopening process on June 25 following a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases 113 days after the first case was confirmed in Texas.[138]

On March 23, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made controversial statements on the Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight, saying that "as a senior citizen", he was "willing to take a chance on [his] survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for [his] children and grandchildren," later suggesting that grandparents in the country would do the same and advocating that the U.S. "get back to work."[141][142] As Patrick appeared to insinuate lives were worth sacrificing for the health of the economy, his comments drew criticism on Twitter, where the hashtag #NotDying4WallStreet trended.[143] New York Governor Andrew Cuomo commented on Twitter that "no one should be talking about social darwinism for the sake of the stock market."[144] The editorial board of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram characterized Patrick's comments as "morbid" and a "recipe for embarrassing Texas".[145] On April 7, roughly a month after the first non-evacuee case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Texas,[14] Patrick created a task force to plan out the recovery of the Texas economy should businesses and industries reopen.[146] Two days later, Abbott stated that his administration was "working on very aggressive strategies to make sure Texas [was] first at getting back to work."[147] On April 17, Abbott began the process of reopening the Texas economy,[148] establishing the Strike Force To Open Texas in an executive order to "study and make recommendations... for revitalizing the Texas economy".[129][149] The team includes state leaders, medical experts, and a business advisory group; all consulting members were members of the Republican Party.[48][49] Abbott issued two additional executive orders relaxing COVID-19 restrictions: executive order GA-15 permitted licensed health care professionals and facilities to carry out elective medical procedures if they did not interfere with capacity provisioned for COVID-19, while executive order GA-16 allowed retail stores to deliver goods to customers beginning on April 24 as part of a "Retail-To-Go" model.[129][150][151] State parks were also ordered to reopen with COVID-19 regulations on April 20.[129]

Abbott announced a phased approach to reopening the Texas economy on April 27, with the state entering Phase I of the plan on May 1.[152] The first phase permitted the operation of retail establishments, restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, libraries and museums at 25 percent occupancy and with health protocols in place; these relaxed restrictions superseded all local orders.[153][154] Businesses in counties with five or fewer cases of COVID-19 were allowed to operate with increased occupancy once Phase I went into effect.[155] The de facto statewide stay-at-home order issued on March 19 was allowed to expire on April 30.[156] Following intraparty pressure, Abbott authorized the reopening of hair salons and pools on May 5.[157] Abbott announced the initiation of Phase II of the reopening plan on May 18, under which child care centers, massage and personal-care centers, and youth clubs were allowed to open promptly. The phase also allowed bars and office building tenants to begin operating with limited occupancy in addition to raising the restaurant occupancy cap to 50 percent. Other types of businesses were given staggered opening dates out to May 31 under Phase II.[158] Phase III of the reopening was rolled out on June 3, permitting the immediate increase of all business operation to 50 percent capacity. The phase also provided a timetable for amusement parks, carnivals, and restaurants to begin increasing their capacity further out to June 18.[159] Abbott announced on June 18 that Texas public schools would be opening for fall 2020.[160] On June 25, Abbott enacted a "temporary pause" on the reopening of the state's economy following record increases in COVID-19 cases.[161][162] The next day, Abbott issued an executive order closing bars and rafting/tubing businesses, representing the first rollbacks on the reopening plan.[64]

On April 25, polling from the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune found that 56 percent of voters surveyed approved of Abbott's response to the pandemic, including 56 percent of Republicans and 30 percent of Democrats.[163][164] Positive approval of Abbott's response to the pandemic was also found by a Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler poll, with registered voters approving by a roughly 3-to-1 margin.[165] A survey conducted by the Texas Restaurant Association and released on May 2 found that 47 percent of the 401 responding restaurants stated they would not reopen despite authorization under Phase I of Abbott's reopening plan; 43 percent intended to open while the remaining 9 percent were unsure.[166] A Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters released on June 3 found that 49 percent approved of Abbott's handling of stay-home restrictions while 38 percent believed Abbott moved "too fast" with the reopening.[167] A survey of 1,212 registered voters in Texas conducted by YouGov and sponsored by CBS News between July 7–10 found that 61 percent of respondents believed the state moved "too quickly" in "reopening the economy and lifting stay-at-home restrictions".[168]

Reactions to the initial efforts to reopen Texas businesses were fraught with partisan divides,[169][170] with the overall reaction described as "mixed" by several news agencies.[171][172][173][174] Nine members of the Texas Freedom Caucus in the Texas House of Representatives sent a letter to Abbott on April 14 pressing for business restrictions to be loosened "to the greatest extent possible."[175] Following the first announcement of reopenings on April 17, Texas Representative Chris Turner, the leader of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said that Texas needed to have "widespread testing available" before reopening businesses.[176] Many public health experts lauded the phased approach but iterated the need for increased testing in the state. Others opined that the reopening commenced before adequate steps were taken to reduce the spread of the disease.[172][177] As the reopening plan progressed, Republican legislators pressured Abbott to open additional business sectors and accelerate the reopening process while Democratic legislators criticized the governor for the rapid pace of reopening.[178][179] The lack of consistent policy at the state and local level during the reopening and Abbott's decision to quash criminal penalties for violations also drew criticism. The Texas District and County Attorneys Association stated that there was "little incentive to put your own necks on the line to enforce an order that could be invalidated the next day" in guidance to state prosecutors.[180] After the reopening's pause and subsequent roll back, some attributed the concurrent rise in cases to the reopening.[181] Hidalgo stated that the reopening occurred "too quickly" and that other communities seeking to reopen would need to heed the spike in cases as "a word of warning".[169] Abbott stated in an interview with KVIA-TV in El Paso that "If I could go back and redo anything, it would probably would have been to slow down to opening bars, now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting."[182]

At a news conference on May 5, Abbott indicated that his administration was emphasizing the state's COVID-19 positivity rate to evaluate the reopening of Texas businesses that formally began on May 1.[152][183] Abbott considered a positivity rate exceeding 10 percent as a "red flag". In mid-April, the number of new cases began to stabilize and the 7-day average positivity rate fell below 10 percent. When Abbott announced the reopening plan on April 27, the positive rate was 4.6 percent, while number of active cases, active infection spread among population, was growing, meaning the chance of infection was increasing. As a result, the number of new cases began to rise in early May.[183] On June 24, the seven-day average positive rate rose above 10 percent for the first time since mid-April.[184] Entering mid-June, restaurants were allowed to operate at increased capacity and most businesses were opened under Phase III of the state's reopening plan. Following a pronounced outbreak of COVID-19 in the state (with the weekly average of new cases increasing by 79 percent) and a large increase in hospitalizations, Abbott paused the reopening process on June 25.[185][64] On June 26, bars were ordered to shut down and restaurants were ordered to lower their maximum operating capacity to 50 percent in what The Texas Tribune called Abbott's "most drastic action yet to respond to the post-reopening coronavirus surge in Texas". River-rafting businesses were also ordered to close and outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people without local government approval were banned.[186] The mandated closures made Texas the first U.S. state to reinstate restrictions and closures after reopening.[187]

Only on July 2, when Texas had already recorded more than twice the infections in all of China, Abbott announced some small measures in an executive order effective the afternoon of July 3 requiring local government approval of gatherings of 10 or more people. In counties with at least 20 confirmed cases, the order mandated masks in enclosed public spaces and when social distancing was not feasible (subject to fines of up to $250 for multiple infractions).[188] The Texas Medical Association supported the mask mandate. However, the governor was chided by Democrats for being too slow to react to the resurgence in cases and by Republicans for overstepping his remit and infringing on personal freedoms.[189][69] Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman released a statement saying that the order was "far too little, far too late," and criticized Abbot for "[leading] from behind."[190] Republican State Representative Jonathan Stickland tweeted "[Abbott] thinks he is KING!"[69] Six county Republican parties formally censured Abbott for his use of executive power in responding to the pandemic, including in Montgomery and Denton Counties.[191] Some local law enforcement agencies chose not to enforce the mandate.[192]

Large scale vaccination sites, referred to as "vaccination hubs", were established throughout the State beginning in January 2021. [193] On January 14, 2021 Texas became the first state to administer one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccination.[194] As of January 27, 2021, more than two million doses have been administered. [194]

On March 2, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County both declared a "local state of disaster and a public health emergency" after an individual was mistakenly released from quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio by the CDC before a third test for coronavirus returned a positive result.[195] The city subsequently petitioned the federal government to extend the quarantine of US nationals at Joint Base San Antonio; the petition was denied by Judge Xavier Rodriguez in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.[196][197] Both the city of Dallas and Dallas County have declared a "local disaster of public health emergency".[198]

Abbott left the decision to local governments to set stricter guidelines. Two hours later, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins ordered residents of Dallas County to shelter in place beginning 11:59 p.m. on the following day.[199] A day later on March 23, Bell,[200] Bexar,[201] Brazos,[202] Cameron,[203] Hunt,[204] McLennan,[205] Stephens[206] counties and the city of Forney,[207] issued a shelter in place for their communities. Collin,[208] Galveston,[209] Harris,[210] Travis,[201][211] and Williamson[211] counties issued same measures on March 24. However, Collin County had more relaxed guidelines for their shelter in place order. Collin County's order stated that all businesses are essential and would be allowed to remain open as long as they followed physical distancing guidelines.[212]

Original photo of public street art on the iconic 6th street in Austin, TX depicting the impact of coronavirus/COVID-19 closings

Austin, TX's cancellation of the South by Southwest festival was met with response from bar owners on 6th St who boarded up their windows to avoid break-ins due to overstocking in preparation for SXSW, which had built up in popularity from 700 attendees in 1987 to more than to 280,000 attendees in 2019 and an economic impact on the Austin economy of $355.9 million.[213] Local artisans adorned the windows of the boarded up shops with street art that captured the mood of the time depicting both despair and declarations of ultimate triumph.[214]

In mid-June 2020, some county officials requested that the governor grant them the power to fine individuals for not wearing a mask in public, as local governments were prohibited from doing so by the governor's order; the governor refused.[215] Nelson Wolff, the Bexar County judge, found a loophole in the order, and on June 17 issued an order fining businesses for allowing in customers without a mask. Other counties and cities followed suit. In response, the governor said this had been the "plan all along", which some local officials doubted,[216] and that the judge "finally figured that out". This angered some people in areas where people had been dying of COVID-19.[217]

Nacogdoches County sheriff Jason Bridges announced he would not be enforcing the statewide mask order, because it was "borderline infringing on some ... constitutional rights", even though legal experts agree[218] such measures are constitutional under the state's police power.[219] Bridges said enforcing public health measures during the pandemic "is not something we have time to be doing", despite health experts' agreement that mask wearing reduces transmission significantly.[219]

During a July 14 press conference, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner along with Dr. David Persse and Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Pena announced that the Army medical task force arrived Monday July 13 to help ramp up the city's response to COVID-19 with plans to open more facilities as medical resorts.[220] Over the weekend prior, Turner said he proposed a two-week shutdown to Abbott to help curb the soaring rates; Hidalgo, an early proponent of extending the shutdown, voiced support for another shut down.[221] During a July 15 press conference, Turner announced 16 new COVID-19 related deaths as well as two new testing sites to handle the demand of residents seeking testing in response to the surging coronavirus cases, calling for a minimum 90 percent compliance from residents for the safety measures to be effective.[222] In a July 15 press conference, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced 16 new COVID-19 related deaths as well as two new testing sites to handle the demand of residents seeking testing in response to the surging coronavirus cases, calling for a minimum 90 percent compliance from residents for the safety measures to be effective.[222]

On October 29, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged a two-week shutdown of nonessential businesses ordered by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. El Paso had daily case counts of over 1,000 per day, and hospitals were overwhelmed, with 44% of patients under treatment for COVID-19.[74][75]

H-E-B, in January 2020, activated a comprehensive pandemic emergency management plan first conceived in 2009 in response to concerns over H1N1.[223] Other essential businesses collectively began limiting operational hours, providing previously in-store experiences in palatable to-go forms, restricting points of entry, and requiring use of sanitizer or face masks for all customers. Many restaurants began offering pre-prepared ingredients to recreate their experiences at home, and a resurgence of drive-in theaters was seen particularly in the Greater Austin and Greater San Antonio areas.

On May 20, 2020, on the heels of several anti-lockdown protests at state capitals, protestors opposed to vaccinations gathered at the Texas state capital in Austin, with a Facebook page describing the rally as an effort to "show the globalists, including eugenicist Bill Gates, the World Health Organization and the CDC, that they can't suspend freedom in America at a mere whim, and that they can't force us to wear face masks like the people in Communist China."

Sixth Street in Austin after all bars and restaurants were ordered closed

On March 13, Six Flags (based in Texas) suspended operations to all twelve of their properties nationwide as well as in Mexico, that were operating in the month of March, until the end of the month; these include the two Texas parks, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Texas. On March 30, the closure was extended to all of their properties.[224] Sea World San Antonio announced plans to close from March 16 to April 1, along with all Schlitterbahn waterparks,[225] the parks have delayed the closure. Both Schlitterbahn waterparks announced they'd be the first major water park in the state to reopen in mid-June.[226] The two Texas Six Flags parks will reopen the parks on June 19.[227][228]

On March 14, H-E-B announced that all of their stores across the state will reduce open hours, to help restock items. This also includes their pharmacies and Central Market locations.[229] The announcement comes a day after the company announced that its Houston area stores would be the only locations to implement changes to their operations.[230] A month later, H-E-B expanded their store hours across the state (closer to normal store hours), as supply availability has improved.[231][232]

As of May 26, KVUE reported that "The Texas Restaurant Association estimates that 6% of restaurants in Austin have shut down for good during the pandemic, and that number is estimated to be at 12% statewide".[233] A number of these restaurants that closed had been famous and well-established in the state for decades. Some notable ones include Highland Park Cafeteria, a Dallas restaurant that had served comfort food for 95 years, and Threadgill's, an 81-year old tavern that was the first post-Prohibition Austin business with a beer license before becoming a restaurant in 1981 (Janis Joplin started her music career here).[234][235]

Abbott's plans to lift the stay-at-home order and reopen Texas was followed by a spike in coronavirus cases reaching 50,000 new cases by Memorial Day weekend.[236] The number rose consistently pushing Texas to chart at the top of cases nationwide and hospitals in the state's largest cities reaching near or full ICU capacity.[237][238] In response to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Abbott issued an executive order shutting down bars for a second time since the beginning of the pandemic.[239] Several Texas bar owners filed a $10 million federal lawsuit stating that Abbott's order violates their constitutional rights; the order impacted restaurants with high alcohol sales as well, with the Texas Restaurant Association estimating that at least 1,500 restaurants that serve alcohol were forced to close, which displaced more than 35,000 employees.[240]

For the first time in the event's history, South by Southwest was cancelled as a result of local health concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.[241][242] The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo cancelled the rest of the event on March 11, that was slated to run until March 22. It was confirmed that a resident from Montgomery County, Texas that was tested positive, attended the BBQ cook off at the rodeo on February 28.[243] The attendance for the rodeo on February 28, was 77,632, with 73,433 of the visitors went to the "World Championship Barb-B-Que Contest," where that person attended.[244] The FIRST Robotics World Championship, slated to occur in Houston around mid-April, was canceled due to the Coronavirus, along with all the other FIRST Robotics Competitions in Texas. The Championship is one of the world's largest gatherings in competitive robotics.[245]

After the announcement of the ban of gatherings of over 500 people on March 13 (in San Antonio), Fiesta San Antonio postponed their event to November 2020, that was originally slated for mid-April and eventually cancelled to April 2021.[246]

Austin City Limits Music Festival, originally scheduled for October 2020, was cancelled on July 1; its organizers describing the cancellation as "the only responsible solution."[247][248]

Among the closures of school districts and universities across the state, Abbott waived all State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) testing for the 2019–20 school year for public grade schools on March 16.[249]

On March 19, Abbott issued an executive order that closed schools statewide until at least April 3.[250] On March 31, the Governor announced that schools in the state will continue to stay closed until May 4.[251] On April 17, Abbott said that Texas public schools would be closed for the remainder of the 2019–20 school year and that schools will continue to offer distance learning.[252]

As of July 16, the state had still not established concrete rules for school reopenings in the Fall, but the latest word from Abbott on July 14 was that districts can expect more flexibility on opening classrooms, with state education officials agreeing to continue to fund school districts who choose to stay virtual if mandated by local health officials.[253]

Digital homework assigned in a Texas public school

Houston Independent School District, the state's largest school district, is among dozens of school districts extending their spring break, to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.[254][255] The closures are not without precedent, as many schools closed for two weeks during the 2009 H1N1 flu when Houston experienced a major outbreak.[254] The CDC issued guidelines for K-12 school administrators to help "protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of students, teachers, other school staff, their families, and communities" as they prepare to return to school in fall 2020.[256]

As of May 19, University of Texas at Austin disclosed that they were rolling out a series of "financial mitigation measures" to alleviate employee furloughs and other economic distress from COVID-19, even after receiving government grants.[257][258] On May 20, it was announced that UT-Austin would open the campus for the Fall semester of 2020, but would conduct all classes and tests remotely after Thanksgiving break.[259] They later announced on June 3 that classrooms would be kept at 40 percent capacity, and that around 2,100 classes (about a fifth of all available classes) will be conducted online during the fall.[260] On June 8, both UT-Austin and Texas A&M University announced that wearing masks will be required when inside campus buildings during the Fall 2020 semester.[261] On June 23, UT Austin announced that it is waiving SAT and ACT testing requirements for high school students who apply for fall 2021 undergraduate admission to ensure that COVID-19 does not affect a student's ability to apply to the university.[262][263]

A Dallas Renegades XFL game at Globe Life Park in Arlington on March 7, 2020; this was their final game before the league's suspension and demise.

All major professional sports leagues in Texas suspended play, including the NBA (Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs)[264] NHL (Dallas Stars),[265] Major League Baseball (Texas Rangers and Houston Astros),[266] and Major League Soccer (Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas).[267] The XFL (Dallas Renegades and Houston Roughnecks) suspended play, and later filed for bankruptcy part-way into the rebooted league's inaugural season.[268] In April 2020, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) cancelled all spring high school sports state-wide.[269]

On May 28, Governor Abbott announced that professional sporting events at outdoor venues would be allowed to admit a limited number of spectators, capped at 25% of normal capacity, and subject to approval by health authorities.[270] In June 2020, Fort Worth hosted the first IndyCar Series and PGA Tour events held since pandemic-related restrictions took affect, the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway,[271] and the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.[272] Both events were held without spectators.[272][271]

The pandemic impacted sports across the state at all levels: Texas high school started voluntary summer workouts on June 8 in anticipation of a full season return, but the UIL recommended all workouts statewide be postponed from July 3–13 as a safety measure, impacting around 200 schools across the state, many of which had already made the decision to shut down independently ahead of official orders.[273] Professional teams such as the Houston Rockets were further impacted as players tested positive for COVID-19.[274] On July 21, the UIL announced its plan to resume fall sports, splitting them into two categories: football and volleyball practices would begin first with 1A through 4A schools on August 3, schools with 5A and 6A designations would resume practices on September 7, with state football championships held in January.[275]

To reduce travel and the impact of outbreaks, Major League Baseball scheduled its 2020 playoffs at neutral sites in Texas and California; Minute Maid Park in Houston and newly opened Globe Life Field in Arlington would host National League Division Series games during the postseason, while the 2020 National League Championship Series and 2020 World Series would be hosted entirely in Arlington (marking the first World Series to be held at a single ballpark since 1944). The NLCS and World Series would also be the first MLB games that season to admit spectators, capped at a capacity of 11,500.[276][277] Citing looser restrictions in comparison to its traditional home of Las Vegas, the National Finals Rodeo also relocated to Globe Life Field.[278]

In November 2020 the University of Texas at Austin concluded that from March to October, 231 prisoners in the state died due to COVID-19. Due to the delay in announcing whether someone died from the disease, which can take as long as several months, Jerusalem Demsas of Vox wrote that "The 231 figure is likely to be a conservative count."[279] Based on an early 190 deaths count, UT Austin issued a report stating that the death rate of people in correctional supervision in Texas was 135% the general death rate.[280]