DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Members of the Dallas County Commissioners Court called an emergency meeting Friday morning to question Judge Clay Jenkins' order that people cover their nose and mouth with a cloth when inside a store. Jenkins issued the order Thursday afternoon to take effect Saturday morning.
The measure requires people to wear a cloth covering over their nose and mouth when visiting an essential business, such as a gas station or grocery store. People who use public transportation will also be required to wear a mask or bandanna.
"This is a mechanism to take a racehorse, because that's what this virus is, it reins on it and makes sure we're controlling it at a trot while we reopen," says Dr. Mark Casanova, the president of the Dallas County Medical Society.
Casanova says the "virus is alive and well in our community," but he says taking steps to slow the spread now would give the county a chance to contain the spread. He says the county could then remove restrictions step-by-step to bring business back to normal.
"It gives us that vert necessary stepping stone to begin to rebuild," he says. "Cloth facial coverings are one of those key, necessary ingredients as we begin to engage on the structure of loosening restrictions."
But commissioners questioned why Judge Clay Jenkins did not call an emergency meeting to discuss the plan as they did.
"When you talk about issuing an order, it sends a different message, Judge," says Commissioner John Wiley Price. "We're talking about a mask kind of as a stand-alone. All of a sudden, we come up with a knee-jerk reaction."
"I was extremely disappointed you did not address the chiefs of police in Dallas County, Richardson, Garland, Chief Spivey [of Irving> hasn't heard from you," says Commissioner JJ Koch.
Jenkins said he discussed the issue during a call with law enforcement at 12 p.m. Thursday.
"This was talked about, this was explained that this would be happening. There would not be a need for anyone to write tickets," Jenkins said. "Did I call every police chief personally and talk to them about it? No, I didn't."
Jenkins says commissioners were sent the order before it was announced.
"I would have been happy to take any questions from anyone had you all had any," he said.
Commissioner Theresa Daniel says she texted Jenkins a question Thursday morning. He responded that he did not see any text from her.
"I'm still going to say this is a knee-jerk reaction because everyone else is doing it," Price said.
"I wouldn't consider this to be knee-jerk," Casanova, the medical society president, said. "There are economists involved, business leaders, epidemiologists and health care professionals who look at this structure and say, 'This is a viable blueprint for something we have never faced.'"
