Today Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley announced he was ordering businesses serving the public in the county to create and post a policy that requires both their employees and their customers over 10 years of age to wear face masks. The order takes effect at 6 pm on Friday, June 26th and ends at 6:00 am on Monday, August 3rd. Failing to create and post a policy can result in a fine of up to $1000.
The Judge said this has become a political issue and it is not political. Wearing masks is not comfortable, but if it saves one life, surely it is worth it. Young healthy people are not likely to die from Covid-19. They can spread it for up to three days when they have no symptoms. They can infect their parents and grandparents without knowing it. Judge Whitley likes to say “You have a right not to wear a mask, but it is not right.”
Judge Whitley was joined, among others, by Dr. Susan Bailey, a Tarrant County allergist who is also the current president of the American Medical Association and by the Mayors of Arlington and Burleson. The Mayor of Fort Worth joined by video.
Mayor Ken Shetter of Burleson said it was not just the big city mayors, but virtually all the mayors in the county who pressed Judge Whitley to issue the order. Mayor Shetter said he is receiving calls from business owners in Burleson reporting they are keeping their employees masked, but it is much more difficult to get customers to wear masks. It has become a cultural war. He has been told of customers berating teenage employees because they are wearing masks.
Dr. Bailey said that we need to follow science and research and the current data shows that wearing masks significantly reduces the spread of Covid-19. Dr. Robert Rogers, representing the Tarrnt County Medical Society, made the point that early on in the outbreak we did not know people infected, but without symptoms, could spread the virus. Once that was determined, then masks were strongly recommended. He added that surgeons wear masks all day and many people in other professions wear masks for their work. The idea that wearing a mask can harm you is just untrue.
Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams said we were all frustrated and want this to be over. Did he like making people wear masks? No, but it is necessary that we do it. Masks, social distancing, better hygiene are all tools to fight against the spread of the virus. Let’s quit the rhetoric against the masks and slow down the spread of the virus.
Vinny Taneja, Director of the County Health Department said that masks are just a tool and right now we need to be using all the tools in our tool bag.