The mayors of nine of the biggest cities in Texas have signed a letter to Governor Greg Abbott, asking for the ability to issue local orders dealing with face mask requirements to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The letter says an increasing in testing has led to more people diagnosed with COVID-19, and "some areas are seeing confirmed cases increasing more rapidly than testing."
"While it's important to get our economy working again, we must also take precautions to avoid a massive influx of new cases overwhelming our hospitals," the letter reads.
In North Texas, the mayors of Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Plano signed the letter. The mayors of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and El Paso also signed.
The mayors say each city should be allowed to decide on its own whether to require facial coverings in public.
"I think it's important mayors have the flexibility and authority to make real-time decisions for their cities," says Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere. "The dynamics of different cities are different."
LaRosiliere says individual cities need to make decisions quickly if they see an increase in cases. The letter says a "one size fits all" approach is not the best option.
"There's been a decision made that we're going to tolerate living side-by-side with the virus. I think that's clearly what the governor's saying," LaRosiliere says.
Governor Greg Abbott says local governments have other tools to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, including fines for businesses or individuals who violate rules about capacity restrictions or large gatherings.
During a press conference Tuesday, Abbott said fewer than ten percent of COVID-19 patients need to be hospitalized, and hospitals in Texas still have ample capacity. He says Texas has the second-lowest death rate of the 25 states with the most cases.
Mayors of Texas' biggest cities, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie & Plano, have signed a letter asking the governor to let cities make their own decisions on whether to require face masks in public. "A one-size-fits-all approach is not the best option." pic.twitter.com/OvFIiDyZEA
— Alan Scaia (@scaia) June 17, 2020
