Local officials in Texas require masks and raise alarm over coronavirus spike, while the governor insists businesses remain open.
COVID-19 is spreading in Texas at an alarming rate and must be brought under control without shutting down the state, Gov. Greg Abbott and local officials said Monday. But they disagreed about how best to flatten the new spike.
Unlike California, Texas is among a number of states whose governors have resisted mask requirements. Abbott, who rarely appears in public wearing a mask, never issued a stay-at-home order and was quick to start reopening businesses last month.He arrived Monday at a COVID-19 briefing at the state Capitol wearing a red, white and blue cloth mask that he quickly removed; officials seated around him removed theirs, too.
“If those spikes continue, additional measures will be necessary to ensure the health and safety of all Texans,” he said.The statewide increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations has been driven by spikes in Dallas, Houston and the rest of the state’s largest metro areas.
Turner praised state officials for cracking down on crowded bars that flouted conditions for reopening, even posting defiant messages online. But he said requiring masks “may not be enough to stem the spread” of the virus. More needs to be done, he said, but local officials don’t have the power to ban mass gatherings like those expected on the Fourth of July.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas renters left scrambling after statewide eviction endsIt’s hard to imagine a more stressful time to get an eviction notice than during a pandemic. In Texas, a statewide ban on evictions ended in late May. Now many renters are scrambling to come up with the money they owe or lose their homes.
Read more »
A dozen Texas bars temporarily lose alcohol permits for allegedly breaking coronavirus protocolsThe Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission has temporarily suspended the alcohol permits of 12 bars in Texas after they were found to be in violation of the state's protocols to slow the spread of Covid-19
Read more »
Texas Governor Wants To-Go Alcohol To Stay PermanentlyThis isn’t the first time the governor of the second-largest state has said as much.
Read more »
MLB's Carl Crawford Sued For Over $1 Million Over Drowning At Texas MansionThe mother of 1 of the drowning victims at Carl Crawford's Texas mansion last month says the former MLB star is responsible for her son's death ... and now, she's suing for over $1 million.
Read more »
Foul play suspected in death of Fort Hood soldier after remains found in Texas field: ArmyFoul play is suspected in the death of a Fort Hood soldier, whose remains were found 10 months after he went missing, military officials say.
Read more »
Sources: Venezuela wooed Texas Republican to ease sanctionsVenezuela&39;s socialist government tried to recruit then-Congressman Pete Sessions to broker a meeting with the CEO of Exxon Mobil at the same time it was secretly paying a close former House colleague $50 million to keep U.S. sanctions at bay, The Associated Press has learned. An official at state-run
Read more »