Dallas County Mask Mandate Remains In Place Following Judge's Order
DALLAS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) -- "[Dallas] County Judge Jenkins has shown a probable right to relief on the merits of his claims against the Governor and the State of Texas," says the 116th Circuit Court.
That's a decision handed down in Dallas County on Wednesday, August 25 that will allow a mask mandate to stay in place in the county.
Jenkins said Dallas County schools, business and buildings will be required to have a mask policy.
"Although this is an important victory, it's really not a victory against a person or an entity," said Jenkins in remarks to the media. "It's a victory for humans who live in Dallas County against the virus."
Jenkins went on to say, "We should not personalize this as 'us against them.' It is all of us against the virus."
The decision read in part --
"County Judge Jenkins and the residents of Dallas County whom he serves in his official capacity, will suffer probable imminent and irreparable injury through County Judge Jenkins being precluded from exercising his authority, as a County Judge who has declared a local state of disaster in Dallas County, to require persons in Dallas County to wear, or mandate the wearing of, masks or face coverings in Dallas County, to reduce the spread of the COVID—l 9 virus, particularly the highly transmissible delta variant, which threatens to overwhelm the capacity of the healthcare system in Dallas County and result in increased hospitalizations and deaths in Dallas County."
Jenkins went on to say that the lack of available staffed units are making it difficult to have pediatric ICU beds available in a 19 county area saying that some patients have been flown as far as Idaho for treatment.
Read The Entire Order Below
Jenkins had a recommendation to businesses: "If people don't like it, blame it on me, if your employees appreciate that you're doing things to keep them safe, and to keep your business thriving so they can - not only keep their job - but also go home safe to their family, take credit for it yourself. I don't care. Let's just get it done. Let's mask up. Let's save lives."