“I know I saw some flyers about the party mask. I don’t even understand,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
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Turner was accompanied by State Representative Ann Johnson on Sunday at a press conference calling for the event to be canceled.
“They are planning to have a big mask-taking party during hours when they drink, dance and shout at each other,” said Johnson.
The pamphlet delivered to ABC13 by local leaders, announces a celebration on the same day, all health and safety protocols to prevent COVID-19 are suspended.
This is undoubtedly an over-the-top event that will literally kick-start the fourth increase in COVID in our Houston area, he said.
“Celebrating the reckless, if not negligent reversal of COVID-19 prevention measures, is like pouring salt into an open wound for healthcare professionals in this city, this county and this great state,” said Dr. Christina Propst, a pediatrician with the Hermann Children’s Memorial.
“Let’s make sure we put vaccines in people’s arms before we open the gates and start acting like everything is fine when all is not well,” said Turner.
After fighting last year, losing money every month, to watch a different bar trying to explore the end of a health policy, Al Jara, owner of Marquis II, calls this irresponsible.
“There is no need to actively try to bring people together. It is more than likely that I am going to give my clients the choice, but I am not going to promote coming here and having a big meeting. I find this incredibly irresponsible,” said Jara.
Johnson applauded the bar owners who are acting responsibly at the moment.
This weekend, Turner said the city of Houston exceeded 2,000 COVID-19 deaths. He also recalled that there are five variants of the virus in the city.
The lifting of the Texas mask mandate and the promotion of the Concrete Cowboy mask removal party has raised concerns about other similar events from other states arriving in Texas.
Turner said prosecutors in states that are not allowed to operate 100% and are forced to wear masks, are promoting taking these events to cities like Houston, Dallas and Austin.
“This poses a serious risk,” he said.
Johnson added that just because we can do something, it doesn’t mean we should.
“What Governor Abbott did was to give irresponsible individuals a license to risk our public health, when he should withdraw his license for alcoholic beverages,” she said. “Therefore, we are asking all Houstonians to continue to follow healthy measures of social detachment, vaccination and measures to protect our safety.”
As of now, seven percent of Texans are vaccinated. To achieve collective immunity, 70% of Texans need to be immunized.
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