Karen Gleason
County commissioners court members voted Wednesday to maintain a mask mandate for anyone on county property.
The mask mandate was discussed as part of an item on the court’s agenda dealing with “matters relating to COVID-19.”
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. initiated the discussion by telling the court 2,300 second doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered during a mass vaccination event at the Del Rio Civic Center on Saturday and 1,200 to 1,300 first doses were administered to area residents on Sunday.
He said an additional 1,100 doses are available for another vaccination event to be held Saturday, March 6. He said persons who have registered to receive a vaccine on the city and county web sites will get a notification when to go to the civic center to get their shots.
“We’ve gotten questions about why people are going to other counties to get the vaccines and how come other counties have it but we don’t. There’s a list right now of over 10,000 (local) people that have registered, and I think there’s a little over 5,000 that have received first doses, but we still have a list. There’s no rhyme or reason,” Owens said.
County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton broached the subject of Gov. Greg Abbott’s order Tuesday to lift the state’s mask mandate and reopen all businesses.
“I guess the governor’s changing things, effective next week, and that’s fine. I would like to see us have a requirement for masks at least inside county buildings and county property,” Nettleton said.
Nettleton then made a motion that masks will continue to be required “inside county buildings and on county property.”
County Commissioner Pct. 1 Martin Wardlaw gave the second.
The court voted unanimously to approve Nettleton’s motion without further comment.
Owens then asked County Attorney David Martinez, “The motion that was just made, even though we already took the vote, but just for clarity. . . it is something we can do?”
“Yes, sir. It just takes this action which Commissioner Nettleton just put on the table,” Martinez said.
“Again, I just don’t want the phone calls that we can’t do it, so you’ve answered my question,” Owens said.
Wardlaw then asked Owens to explain the effects of Abbott’s latest order.
“Bottom line, on March 10, everything goes back to 100 percent. Everything that I’ve read, the doors are wide open again. Now, if our hospitalization rate goes above 15 percent for seven consecutive days, then the county judge can put other restrictions in place, but in my opinion they’re useless, because there’s no penalty for not doing it, so I think you’re putting our law enforcement personnel behind the eight ball, if we’re trying to enforce something that has no penalty,” Owens replied.
“I do believe, for the record, what (the governor) did was wrong. He is our governor – and I’ll say it, but I’m probably going to get heat for it, and I voted for him the last time –and he’s made a rule. I believe it’s a mistake. I think, especially right, now with spring break coming up,” the county judge added.
