Maverick County Requires Face Coverings Due to Rising Delta Variant Infections and Hospitalizations, Defying Gov. Abbott’s Executive Order
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo issued a Declaration on August 11, 2021 requiring the wearing of face coverings when entering Maverick County buildings and facilities and throughout their visit, unless the individual has a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering effective 12:01 a.m. on August 12, 2021.
At a joint press conference of the City of Eagle Pass, County of Maverick, Eagle Pass Independent School District, Eagle Pass and Maverick County Local Health Authority Dr. Victoriano Valdez, and the Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center held on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at the Eagle Pass City Council Chambers, County Judge Saucedo announced the issuance of the new Declaration of August 11, 2021 to over 60,000 citizens of Maverick County via a live press conference on Face Book.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. stated that local public officials met with local health care entities such as Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, Maverick County Hospital District, United Medical Centers, Local Health Authority Dr. Victoriano Valdez, and local physicians on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 and learned that there is a rise in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Maverick County due to the transmission of the Delta Variant within the community.
Present at the press conference were Mayor Salinas, County Judge Saucedo, Eagle Pass Independent School District Board President Jorge Barrera and Superintendent Samuel Mijares, Local Health Authority Dr. Victoriano Valdez, and Emergency Operations Center Co-Directors Rodolfo Cardona and Leopoldo Vielma.
Judge Saucedo announced the declaration of a public health emergency for Maverick County requiring the wearing of face coverings or masks in the county.
Local Health Authority Dr. Victoriano Valdez stated as a result of the declaration of a public health emergency due to the increase of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Maverick County, he was requiring face coverings for all students and employees in the county to commence on Monday, August 16, 2021, the first day of in-person instruction at the Eagle Pass Independent School District. Dr. Valdez noted the face covering mandate is necessary to protect all students and employees health and safety, particularly since the sole hospital in the community is saturated and overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients—Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center.
Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees President Jorge Barrera announced the Board held a meeting on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 and decided to follow the Local Health Authority’s face coverings mandate and County Judge David R. Saucedo’s declaration of a public health emergency and join the requirement of wearing face coverings by all students, employees, and visitors of the public school district commencing on Monday, August 16th, the first day of classes. Barrera noted that
Eagle Pass Independent School District Samuel Mijares stated “our students are our most important resource” and “San Antonio and other districts are enforcing a mask mandate, and our students have every right to also be safe. Masks provide safety and health plus academics.” Mijares added that the Eagle Pass Independent School District is going to be complying with the Local Health Authority’s face coverings mandate to protect the health and safety of all students and employees. He noted that if students get sick, their learning is affected.
Superintendent Mijares also announced that the Eagle Pass Independent School District is sponsoring a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at its four secondary schools, Eagle Pass Junior High and High School, Memorial Junior High and C. C. Winn High School, on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, for all students 12 years and older during school hours with parental consent. Mijares urges all parents to get their children who are 12 years or older vaccinated at the free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics at the four secondary schools, noting this is a matter of life and health for all students.
The Local Health Authority’s and Maverick County Judge’s declaration of a public health emergency requiring face coverings follows the joint effort by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County legal challenge of Governor Gregg Abbott’s Executive Order prohibiting all governmental entities requiring of face coverings and mandates. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County received a temporary order for 14 days until a court hearing for a temporary injunction is held to determine the legal challenge. Similarly, the City of Dallas and Dallas County, City of Austin and Travis County, City of Houston and Harris County, and other cities, counties, and public school districts are requiring face masks in defiance of Governor Abbott’s authority, forcing a legal showdown.
Texas has had a 400% increase of hospitalizations due to the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the last month with 10,971 patients as of August 11, 2021. Texas is being ravaged by a fourth surge of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant with 11,975 new confirmed positive cases and 120 new fatalities on August 12, 2021.
Governor Abbott, who is running for re-election in 2022 and seeks the Republican National Party’s Presidential Nomination in 2024, has vowed to legally challenge and shut down all Texas public governmental entities requiring face coverings or mandates. Abbott advocates personal responsibility over public health mandates. Unfortunately, personal responsibility is not working in Texas and other states as Abbott’s own Republican political party and its leaders are advocating against the COVID-19 vaccines and spreading misinformation and distrust among American citizens.
