JUNCTION, Texas — As more businesses get ready to reopen Friday, some are already open. For the most part, they have been operating at 25 percent capacity but there are almost 90 counties in Texas where businesses can increase to 50 percent.

Those are counties with five or fewer confirmed COVID-19 cases.

West Bear Creek General Store is one place where Texans in the Hill Country come together to take care of everything they might need. The store has been in Ford Johnston’s family for 20 years. He said business remains steady since the state’s stay-at-home order expired. The measures state leaders put in place aimed at containing the coronavirus temporarily shuttered businesses across Junction, the seat of Kimble County.

“It kind of stinks for some of those businesses, but I understand. I think everybody understands why they did it. So they're just trying to ease us back into it without there being another major outbreak,” Johnston said.

As of Thursday, there has yet to be a confirmed case of the coronavirus in Kimble County, where the population is more than 4,500.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), rural counties with five or fewer cases on an “individualized basis” may increase capacity for restaurants, retailers, and movie theaters if the county judge certifies and affirms to certain standards, which include creating a list of testing opportunities in the county, providing public notices to the residents of the county, contacting nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and jails  to ensure they are complying with state and federal guidelines regarding COVID-19.

“This town’s taking it to heart. You go to any, any business and everybody's there, doing their cleaning, they're washing their hands, are using disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and they’re staying their social distance. I think that helps a lot,” Johnston said.

Before the Texas Army National Guard deployed a mobile test collection site in Junction on Tuesday, there were eight COVID-19 tests conducted in Kimble County, according to data from DSHS. Johnston does acknowledge, though, because Junction is between several highways, many people pass through.

"We're on the interstate and I know a lot of the corridors, major travel corridors, that's where you see a lot cases. So, I'm hoping we don't have anybody. It wouldn't surprise me for that reason alone,” Johnston said.

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Down the street from the general store, The Jazzy Cowgirl boutique is now open. Owner Natalie Kothmann told Spectrum News the closures during the stay-at-home orders cut revenue in half, despite social media and online sales. The mother of two said keeping her on hands on inventory was also challenging amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said she reopened the first Friday she was allowed to do so under Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order. Kothmann said she planned to reopen on shortened hours, but ended up extending because of the demand.

“It was nonstop and my sales for the day were in comparison to a Black Friday, day after Thanksgiving,” she said.

Kothmann said one advantage in Junction is how operating at 50 percent capacity is pretty much 100 percent of what retailers used to do before the pandemic.

“Fifty capacity will be just fine; we are a small town. Only times this store is packed is Thanksgiving weekend and then any other events like Rodeo,” Kothmann said.

She believes her small town of just over 2,500 is taking the public health directives seriously, adding she has seen “lots of examples” of her neighbors practicing physical distancing. Kothmann said in this rural community, people are taking care of each other knowing it means small businesses will be able to stay out of debt and difficulty.

“We just pray that we're the one county that stays zero through this. Even if there were to be a COVID, a positive case, you know, the county will still work together on practicing being safe and healthy,” she said.