Texas leaders exploit Greg Abbott’s end to mask the mandate and business restrictions

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Mayors and county judges in some of Texas ‘largest urban areas have criticized Gov. Greg Abbott for his decision to remove the state’s mandate for face masks next week, saying it contradicts health officials’ advice. that infections continue to spread across the state, averaging more than 200 reported deaths a day over the past week.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, a fellow Republican, called Abbott’s order “premature” and asked him to allow more people to get the vaccine.

“I call on Governor Abbott to open up additional categories of vaccine levels so that more people can receive a vaccine if they want it,” Price said in a statement. “As the state directive has changed, so must our response. Now, more than ever, vaccines and tests must be available. ”

City and county officials urged residents in their areas to follow the recommendations of experts and health officials calling for the use of face masks in public.

“We don’t have to focus on what the governor tells him the law allows, but what the doctors, the facts, and the science we all know right now tell us are necessary to keep us safe and give us the best chances of getting the herd immunity as quickly as possible, ”said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

In addition to lifting the mask mandate next week, Abbott will allow companies to run at full capacity. If COVID-19 hospitalizations in any of Texas’ 22 hospital regions increase by more than 15% of capacity in that region for seven consecutive days, a county judge “may use COVID mitigation strategies in his county.” according to the governor.

But officials demanded the latest order because it does not allow local leaders to enforce their own mask mandates. The latest order also eliminates an earlier option available to local leaders: forcing companies to require customers to wear masks.

The order also states that nothing “prevents companies or other establishments from requiring employees or customers to follow additional hygiene measures, including covering their faces.” This brought little relief to local leaders.

“I am very disappointed, it is an irresponsible action. Yesterday we still have 464 people in the hospital and 199 in the ICU, ”said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. “We are not out of the woods yet. And I think it’s very premature to do that. “

Jeans and black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. More than half of the deaths from COVID-19 have been black or Hispanic, and advocates have reported that these communities have lagged behind in vaccination efforts. In Texas and across the country, front-line employees are predominantly women and more likely to be people of color than other workers, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data last year .

Wolff was the first county judge to force companies to demand masks in June last year, after finding a loophole in Abbott’s previous order that did not allow local leaders to establish warrants across the county. Now he said he will no longer be able to do it.

“It simply came to our notice then. It allows companies to do what they want to do, “said Wolff, who last year was attacked by a customer who refused to wear a mask.” Now law enforcement has no right to be called. ” .

Wolff said Abbott’s latest order leaves counties limited to encouraging people to wear masks and social distance.

“That’s all we can do for what we’ve interpreted,” Wolff said.

Dallas, Harris and Travis County officials said their legal teams are still studying the order to clarify these issues and what they are allowed to do.

In El Paso, a county that has recorded more than 2,000 COVID-19-related deaths, county judge Ricardo Samaniego tweeted that Abbott’s order on masks “would be equivalent to him saying we shouldn’t wear the belt security … but it would be a good idea if we did it ”.

In a statement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo questioned the timing of this announcement.

“With the advent of COVID-19 vaccines, we are approaching the goal of this pandemic; now is not the time to reverse the gains we have worked so hard to achieve,” Hidalgo said. “At best, today’s decision is an illusion. At worst, it is a cynical attempt to distract the jeans from the failures of state oversight of our power grid. “

Prior to the press conference, Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner sent a letter to Abbott asking him to keep the mask requirement in place. Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown wrote a letter with the same message.

“We believe it would be premature and harmful to do anything to lose widespread adoption of this preventative measure. Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that widespread use of face masks slows down the virus,” the letter says. arrival of new virus variants in Texas and our cities, with the associated rise in cases, is even more important to preserve the most effective of our existing security measures. “

In San Antonio, Mayor Ron Nirenberg described opening companies at 100% capacity and at the same time banning mask warrants is a “huge mistake.”

“COVID-19 is still widespread in our community and infects too many of our vulnerable residents,” Niremberg said in a statement. “Don’t cut your parachute like you slowed down. Please join me in continuing to wear a mask. “

In a statement, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called on residents to “remain masked” and said “now is not the time to lower our guard.”

In Tarrant County, Judge Glen Whitley said he will lift the mask’s warrant today, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Last week, Whitley had extended the requirement until May 25th.

Disclosure: Steve Adler is a former chairman of the Texas Tribune board and has been a financial supporter of Tribune, a nonprofit and nonprofit news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters have no role in Tribune journalism. Find a full list here.