SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (KVEO) While thousands in the Rio Grande Valley are being told to shelter-in-place, one local business is encouraging people to come out and enjoy the sunshine.

South Padre Island is open, so are national parks, state parks, we are no different if people want to come, said Clayton Brashear, the owner of Claytons Beach Bar and Grill, Claytons is the biggest beach bar in Texas and the safest beach bar in Texas.

But recently, Brashear has been facing heat on social media after posting to Facebook encouraging elderly people to head to the beach.

He says the posts have been taken out of context and have since been deleted.

Social media, we can get it wrong sometimes, I get social media wrong, my idea is to put a post or information that South Padre Island is welcoming, but at the same time bring your mask and social distance, said Brashear.

He says he is taking the pandemic serious and is practicing safe measures at the beach bar.

Everybody that comes into the bar has to wear a mask to order drinks to go, employees have hand sanitizer on the bar next to them, we have sanitizing stations inside close to the restrooms, we have them in different areas, we are a big place, Claytons is 30,000 square feet so people go out and buy food, were outdoors, were all learning how to social distance, said Brashear.

South Padre Island City beaches are open, however there is an emergency order in place. The details are below:

* All types of canopies and pop-up tents will be prohibited. Single-pole shade structures larger than 8 feet (96-inches) in diameterwill be prohibited.

You can read the entire order here.

If youre headed to the beach, follow the order below:

BEACH VENDORS:* Beach vendors can only preset the front-row following thespacing guidelines below.* All non-single pole shade structures will be prohibited.* All single-pole shade structures will be separated by a minimumof 15 feet from the outside edge/tip of the structure.* All secondary beach chairs and umbrellas must be stored at thedune line and setup on demand only.* Chairs and umbrellas must be rented and occupied at the time of * setup, for the secondary rows.* Only two chairs per single pole shade structure will be permitted.

BEACH GOERS:* All types of canopies and pop-up tents will be prohibited. Single-pole shade structures larger than 8 feet (96-inches) in diameterwill be prohibited.* All single-pole shade structures will be separated by a minimumof 15 feet from the outside edge/tip of the structure.* Only two chairs per single pole shade structure will be permitted.* Other setups are prohibited within the 15 feet between theequipment.

This emergency management order will remain in effect until August 5, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.

Peace Officers, City of South Padre Island Health Inspectors, Code Enforcement/Ordinance Officers/Inspectors are hereby authorized to enforce this order. A violation of this order is a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00 in accordance with the City of South Padre Island Code of Ordinances.

The Mayor and the Emergency Management Coordinator can close the beach at any time if social distancing is not followed.

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South Padre Island bar owner encourages people to visit SPI - KGBT-TV