[ad_1]
The Guardian
‘Like ants on sugar’: Covid-tired Texans ignore mandates for holiday fun
Despite the increase in virus cases in the state, visitors are flocking to the Christmas Village of Fredericksburg, threatening the small community Hidden in the hills of central Texas, the small town of Fredericksburg still looks like a bustling Christmas village. this year, mostly unchanged by the coronavirus Last week, a pale pink sunset descended on Marktplatz Square, to the rhythm of holiday music and laughing children. Tiny toddlers boarded gingerbread train cutouts as older children strolled around a makeshift ice rink, their “face covers” hanging down well below their mouths like sashes. the specialized food store. A puny T-shirt urging “SOCIALIST DISTANCE” was prominently displayed in one of the store windows, and at dusk, onlookers from across the state – many without masks – gathered to see the city’s elaborate Christmas lights twinkle. we asked more people to come to town, instead of fewer people, ”said Catherine Kuhlmann, infectious disease control manager for Gillespie County, which includes Fredericksburg. “It’s like ants on a sugar cube.” Between an influx of Covid-tired vacationers taking advantage of tourist attractions and uninformed residents adamantly opposed to wearing masks, Gillespie County has inevitably fallen prey to the same spike in coronavirus cases that has gripped so much in Texas in recent years. weeks. At least one in 23 rural community members has been infected since January, according to the New York Times, and free tests earlier this month gave a positivity rate of almost 18%. “I’m very worried about the Hill Country at this point,” Kuhlmann said. “I would like to say that we hit our worst, but I don’t think we have.” Across Texas, more than 9,500 Covid-19 patients languish in hospitals and an estimated 264,000 infections remain active, relegating the state to a dangerous “red zone” that deserves an aggressive response, the group suggested. work on the White House coronavirus in a report earlier this month, but even as people continue to crowd into restaurants and bars, meeting with friends and throwing their facial blankets, the Republican of the Texas leaders have avoided politically controversial tactics used elsewhere to save lives. “We’re not going to have any more lockdowns in the state of Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott said ahead of Thanksgiving, a position he defended by saying the locks were ineffective, despite Abbott’s more localized plan, designed months ago, requires particularly affected regions to reduce reopenings where Covid-19 patients account for more than 15% of ty hospital capacity for seven consecutive days. The state’s mask mandate – a remaining precaution from the previous devastating peak in infections over the summer – also remains in effect, and in Fredericksburg, an additional order reinforces the requirement to cover the face in facilities. commercial, but without fines, jail time or other strict enforcement mechanisms, these policies have been made senseless. In practice, whether masks are needed right now in “Texas’ Christmasiest Town” is largely a matter for individual business owners, and there is no universal consensus despite this. advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) telling Americans to wear masks because there is “growing evidence that cloth headgear helps prevent people with Covid-19 to transmit the virus to others ”. “Some of them just don’t believe in the benefits of wearing a mask and so chose not to,” said Kent Myers, City Manager of Fredericksburg. “We educate them. We have informed them. But it is ultimately their choice. Despite a recent surge in cases, which Myers expects to continue, he said the city had no plans for new regulations to combat the spread. And, in a county that voted to re-elect President Donald Trump by a 59-point margin in November, even the limited protocols currently in place go too far for a subgroup of locals exasperated by what they see as an infringement. to them At a city council meeting on Dec. 7, a room full of unmasked citizens voiced their grievances one by one, comparing the Fredericksburg government to Nazi Germany or an Orwellian state. A woman read a quote she attributed to Fox News host Tucker Carlson about years of social distancing, microchipping and “benevolent dictatorship.” Another person warned that wearing N95 masks could cause serious injury or death (it doesn’t), then told the mayor his policy goes against “everything that makes this nation big”. “There is no one on this earth who does not recognize the risk of Covid”, argued a third speaker. “If I want to go lick the handrails in the hospital, it is my right that God has given.” At Hill Country Memorial, the only hospital in the area, staff have spoken on the radio, wrote letters to the local newspaper and posted on social media since the early days of the pandemic, trying to tackle widespread disinformation in Fredericksburg. As with much of the country, a major point of confusion has been the effectiveness and rationale behind wearing a face mask, said Jim Partin, the hospital’s chief medical officer. “It’s a mask,” he said. “It is not a political statement. It’s a mask. Hill Country Memorial is currently treating nine patients with Covid-19 and has capacity for just under double that number. With additional nurses provided by the state, they are in good shape for now, Partin said. But the holiday season is far from over, and meanwhile, visitors to nearby urban centers who are being stricken by virus – Austin, Houston, San Antonio – keep flocking to Fredericksburg like it’s a more convenient alternative to Disney World. Whether it’s for a day trip or a weekend getaway, people catch friends and loved ones to visit wineries, stroll Main Street, browse store merchandise, go for a scenic drive, or visit the city’s National Pacific War Museum. “I don’t think tourists come to town and bring it with them,” said Dave Wisniewski, the local emergency management coordinator. Get out of San Antonio for the day, Francisco Martinez and Diamond Garcia headed to Fredericksburg to stroll and sample the local cuisine before witnessing a nighttime lighting ceremony at Marktplatz. Martinez said he noticed a lot of people weren’t wearing masks, but he was wearing his and didn’t feel too worried. “As long as I keep my distance, I think I’m fine,” he said. permeates the quaint town, as Texans with cabin fever convince themselves that a Hill Country vacation will be less risky than other more populous destinations. “They come to Fredericksburg because they think it’s safe,” Kuhlmann said. “And I don’t know if that’s still the case.”
[ad_2]
Source link