Representative Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, on Tuesday urged companies in the Houston area not to comply with the coronavirus blockade guidelines, which he argued were not based on the US Constitution.
The fierce words came in response to the State Department of Health Services’ recommendation to close Houston’s bars, while restaurants and other businesses should reduce occupancy because COVID-19 patients occupied 15% of available beds for seven consecutive days. .
Crenshaw said companies “absolutely shouldn’t” comply with these blocking measures.
“Blockades are not supported by law, they are unconstitutional decrees,” tweeted Crenshaw. “Law enforcement should not enforce that. Stop stealing people’s right to make a living.”
The congressman’s words come as the Houston area averages more than 3,300 cases of COVID-19 per day, which is significantly higher than the approximately 2,330 cases per day during the peak of the summer pandemic, according to the Houston Chronicle.
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Texas Medical Center CEO William McKeon told the paper that the next two months “are turning into our darkest days, given these record numbers.”
“Hospitals lag behind in feeling the effects of increases in cases, so we hope the numbers will continue to go in the wrong direction before things get better,” he said.
As of Sunday, there were more than 12,500 Texans hospitalized with COVID-19, representing an increase of 240 people over the previous day, according to official estimates.
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“The numbers are going up. Everything is trending in the wrong direction – new cases, hospitalizations and the positive rate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor University College of Medicine, according to the local news station KHOU.
Hotez noted that he expects many companies to close temporarily.
“Whether or not we can stop transmitting the virus and restore our city or county to something that resembles normal, depends on how quickly we can vaccinate our population,” he added.
Fox News’ Madeline Farber contributed to this report.