CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx. — Imagine having your business shut down for months due to the pandemic, only to have it shut down once again shortly after reopening. That is what happened to Jerry Dalton of the Hi Ho Drive Inn Bar.
A customer found out they were COVID-19 positive while sitting inside.
"You would think that if you are going to get tested then maybe have a little courtesy," Dalton said.
And that is something that might be an issue, people not taking their test seriously, or at least that's what Dalton thinks.
"I don't think some people are taking this seriously," he said.
Dalton claims the customer entered the bar shortly after receiving a coronavirus test. This is the opposite of what Annette Rodriguez, the Director of Nueces County Public Health District and other city leaders are urging the public to do.
"If they have been tested it means they are sick and it means they should be self-isolating," Rodriguez said.
Right now, the number of positive cases continues to rise in Nueces County. Rodriguez says the threat is very real.
"I want to reiterate the virus is real and it poses a huge risk to our community," she said.
Dalton will not be able to open his bar for up to a week because of what happened. He is hoping that people practice safety precautions so he can get his business back up and running again.
"It's kind of surreal," he said. "It's kind of like going back to being off for two months and wondering what the future is going to hold."
City and county leaders are urging residents to remain vigilant during this time. If someone should feel sick or show COVID-19 related symptoms, they should get tested and self-isolate.