Amid a significant spike in COVID-19, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley is urging athletic programs to pause their seasons.
"I believe very strongly that those are some of the areas that are causing this significant increase in the spread," Judge Whitley said at this morning's Commissioners Court meeting. "I wish that the schools would look into the possibility of postponing or suspending the athletic activities at this point in time."
Whitley noted, however, that he does not have the power to order such a move at any level, scholastic or otherwise.
"The governor has not allowed us to have the authority to move into that area," Whitley acknowledged.
Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja says this latest spike is mirroring the one that the county experienced in July, with a positivity rate of about 15%.
As of Monday, there have been 75,161 COVID-19 cases in Tarrant County, along with 763 deaths; Taneja says that includes 22 deaths from last week.
Taneja says more than one-quarter of those cases are people under the age of 25 -- a factor contributing to Whitley's call for sports to be halted for the time being.
57,914 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the county.
Whitley says not only are the players at risk, but the spectators are putting themselves at risk as well.
"When you look at the bleachers with the parents, very few are wearing masks," says Whitley. "They're close together; they're not social distancing. We need to try to get this under control."