Houston, Apr 28 (IANS): Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the US state's "stay-at-home" order will be allowed to expire on April 30, meaning more business can open up starting May 1.

At a news briefing on Monday, Abbott said the executive order will be allowed to expire as scheduled and the state will enter the "first phase" of reopening on May 1, reports Xinhua news agency.

During the "first phase", retail stores, restaurants, movie theatres, and shopping malls are allowed to open, but the occupancy rate is capped at 25 per cent.

Outdoor sports are also allowed as long as they do not involve more than four participants.

The Governor also strongly recommended people wear masks in public.

Abbott said phase two will happen around May 18 and more businesses will be allowed to open then.

He added COVID-19 in Texas "has been on the decline in the past 17 days."

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, as of Monday, 25,297 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 663 fatalities, have been reported, while 11,170 patients have recovered.

As of Tuesday morning, the US has reported 988,197 coronavirus cases, with 56,259 deaths, both tallies account for the highest in the world.