Mandatory mask order means more businesses will lose, again

DALLAS COUNTY – One way to get around handling Dallas County residents who are not wearing masks is to fine local businesses who let residents enter the stores without wearing one.

Shop owners, who are already hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns are now being faced with opening shops to customers and being fined if the customers are not wearing masks inside.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins simply said, “They’ll come up with a plan, they’ll post that plan, and you’ll be required to wear a mask in their business. 

“You cannot be fined or jailed for not wearing a mask; however, the business is responsible for ensuring mask wearing in their business.”

How much more money can these businesses bleed before they are forced to shut down for good?

Jenkins issued the advisory, a supplemental order on continuing requirements after the expiration of his stay home, stay safe orders, last week.

Effective this past Friday and until Aug. 4, the supplemental order reads all commercial entities in Dallas County providing goods or services directly to the public must develop and implement a health and safety policy. 

The Health and Safety Policy must require, at a minimum, that all employees or visitors to the commercial entity’s business premises or other facilities wear face coverings.

The judge said failure to develop and implement the Health and Safety Policy required by this executive order within five calendar days following the effective date may result in a fine not to exceed $500 for each violation.
“This has been our toughest week by far of COVID-19. We broke 400 for the first time this week, and today we are just shy of 400 new cases; however, the more important number to look at is hospitalizations and that number too is very concerning,” Jenkins said. 

“We’ve seen a 60-percent increase over the last two weeks in hospitalizations and we currently sit a record high of 454 hospitalized cases today. 

“Think of hospitalizations as the sickest of the sick, the top of the iceberg that is above the water. “When you see an increase in hospitalizations, you know that there is an exponential number below the water of people who are sick and spreading the disease in our community. That is why we’ve moved to masking. Masking will now be required at all businesses.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, along with John Zerwas MD, Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs of the University of Texas System, said Monday in a press conference in Austin that despite an uptick in positive cases, there continues to be abundant hospital capacity. 

Governor Abbott did continue to urge all Texans to continue to do their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and look out for the health of themselves and those around them.

He, however, did not go to the extreme that Dallas County has been put under.

“As we begin to open up Texas, and Texans returns to their jobs, we remain laser-focused on maintaining abundant hospital capacity,” Governor Abbott said.

“The best way to contain the spread of this virus is by all Texans working together and following simple safety precautions. 

“We all have a responsibility for our own health and for the health of our loved ones, friends, and neighbors. 

“COVID-19 still exists in Texas, and if we are to contain the spread while getting Texans back to work, all Texans must do their part.”
Jenkins measures go beyond Abbott’s call, and could be construed as the judge thinking he knows better than the Governor of Texas. 

Last week Jenkins said, “I don’t want to quarrel with the Governor. 

“Let’s be clear about masking. No one could be jailed for not wearing a mask under my or the City of Dallas’ orders. Rather, we made requirements out of the Governor’s recommendations only to have his attorney Ken Paxton write us a letter demanding we rescind our efforts and saying they didn’t want the Governor’s recommendations enforced or checked on.

“I’m simply asking the Governor to lead on the masking requirement the medical experts say is the single most important thing we can do right now to prevent spread or allow local governments to lead on this important issue. I am pleased that other local leaders will also be calling on the Governor to either require masks through gubernatorial action or allow local governments to make that decision for their communities.”

Dallas County Commissioners who did not vote for businesses to require masks of its customers or be fined were Commissioners John Wiley Price and J.J. Koch.

Commissioner Price said this is a case of the inmates running the asylum, referring to those who voted to require businesses to make masks mandatory or risks losing more money on fines. 

And lest you think Europeans are all rolling over to the COVID-19 restrictions, last week in The Hague, Netherlands, Dutch police arrested about 400 protesters who were protesting COVID-19 related government orders. Police in that country used a water cannon and officers on horseback Sunday after violence reportedly broke out during a peaceful protest. Supposedly, protesters threw rocks and smoke bombs at police too.

The Hague Mayor Johan Remkes said, “This has nothing to do with demonstrating or freedom of expression.”

However, protesters said they were protesting the unlawful coronavirus measures because these measures were unconstitutional.  

One protester in his 60s even said while he had never taken part in a protest before he did now because “democracy is in danger.”