As the number of coronavirus cases in Travis County began to surge in early November and local health officials amped up calls for everyone to avoid gathering with others outside their households, Austin Mayor Steve Adler hosted his daughter's wedding at a local hotel and traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with a group of both immediate and extended family members.
"Several weeks ago, when my daughter cancelled her planned wedding to replace it with a COVID appropriate more private ceremony and when my family traveled, we consulted with health authorities and worked hard to model the kind of behavior I've asked of the community," Adler said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
After the group traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Adler recorded a video message that was posted on Nov. 9, urging residents to stay home if they could. "We need to stay home if you can... we need to keep the numbers down," Adler said. "This is not the time to relax. We may have to close things down if we are not careful" as originally reported by Talk1370.com
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Adler on social media Wednesday afternoon, calling the mayor a hypocrite while referencing a CNN story on other Democratic officials who have been caught going against their own recommendations and orders.
