SAN ANTONIO – Update:
Traders Village and other San Antonio-area flea markets are not permitted to reopen their doors.
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This comes after the city attorney’s office contacted Traders Village Friday afternoon and said it will no longer be allowed to reopen this weekend, as it’s not covered under Governor Greg Abbott’s orders to reopen the state.
City officials also announced during Friday’s daily briefing that flea markets of any kind in the area are not permitted to reopen as of yet.
Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Provencio said outdoor gatherings are discouraged and it likely won’t be until phase 3 of reopening the state that flea markets will be permitted again.
In a statement, Traders Village officials said they do not agree with the decision to delay the reopening, especially considering that over 500 small businesses operate at the market.
“We were very surprised and strongly disagree with this decision," said General Manager Rudy Escamilla. “We feel we should be treated the same as any other retailer or shopping mall. It is a really unfortunate decision for the over 500 small businesses that operate at Traders Village.”
Despite the market not reopening this weekend, Traders Village will still host the San Antonio Food Bank giveaway set for Tuesday, May 5th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
We’ll bring more updates as they become available.
Original:
Places like retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls are allowed to open back up in Texas as long as they maintain only 25% occupancy and follow distancing guidelines.
Traders Village San Antonio has announced they will be opening back up this weekend.
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The far west flea market will be at limited capacity. For instance, there will be no live music, rides will not be operational and there will only be one gate open to enter and exit. The new entry is a way to accurately count how many people are coming and going.
The Traders Village San Antonio website also strongly recommends face masks to enter and must be on while inside the market. This applies to anyone 10 years of age or older.
Their website also says that hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the market, seating areas will be spaced 6 feet apart, and all restrooms will be open and staffed to be cleaned continuously.
The flea market will operate at its normal hours this weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and parking is the same at $4.
In an effort to begin reopening the state, Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week reduced restrictions for certain businesses. However, not all businesses are looking to reopen so quickly.
Some San Antonio businesses not opening due to safety, financial reasons
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.
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