SAN ANTONIO — Traders Village, the southwest-side flea market that dozens of vendors use to sell goods and wares, was preparing to rev up operations this weekend as businesses slowly begin to reopen across Texas. Now the village has been told to wait.
"We were very surprised and strongly disagree with this decision," Trader's Village General Manager Rudy Escamilla is quoted as saying in a release from the market. "We feel we should be treated the same as any other retailer or shopping mall."
While indoor malls were a specific kind of business defined in Gov. Greg Abbott's order in regards to what is able to open this weekend in Texas, flea markets were not explicitly covered. They also weren't explicitly covered in the updated local stay-home orders.
But at a daily briefing on Friday alongside local leaders, Elizabeth Provencio, the assistant city attorney, said the metro's health transition team recommended that operations like Traders Village not open until later. The reason: It's an outdoor market, and outdoor gatherings still pose a major risk for spreading the coronavirus.
"As a result, outdoor flea markets will not be open as part of the reopening (plan) at this particular point in time," Provencio said.
Businesses that have been given the go-ahead to welcome back patrons on Friday include movie theaters, indoor malls, retail shops and restaurant dining rooms—but they must operate at limited capacity and keep facilities clean.
Escamilla says they've discussed protocols for keeping customers safe amid the pandemic.
"We feel our plan to keep people safe is as good or better than most indoor retailers," he is quoted as saying. "Any justification given for Traders Village and other flea markets to close should also apply to shopping malls. It just does not seem fair."
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 48 metro residents as of Friday, and nearly 1,500 have tested positive for it.
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