Gov. Abbott’s decision puts Texans at risk

It’s too early to reopen gyms and salons, and most people agree

TexPIRG

AUSTIN– Today, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that hair salons and gyms could reopen assuming they follow guidelines set forth in the announcement. The following can be attributed to Bay Scoggin, Director of consumer and public health group TexPIRG:

“Look, I need a haircut as much as the next guy, but it’s not worth putting tens of thousands of lives at stake. We know what we need to do to be ready to reopen– the Governor’s own advisers have laid it out for him–and we’re not there yet.

“Cases and deaths continue to grow across Texas, so as much as we want to get out and return to normality, we know that it is currently too early.

“TexPIRG would caution the Governor that he must abide by the guidance he is getting from experts, else why have them at all? He should put his efforts not on reopening businesses and endangering everyday Texans like you and me, but rather on getting enough testing, PPE, and contact tracing to make sure that once we reopen, we can stay reopened.

“Recent polling by the Dallas Morning News has shown that a plurality of Texans are wary of ending our shelter in place too soon, and local governments across the state are doing the right thing. Governor Abbott should embrace local control, especially when it so clearly saves lives.”