Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke slammed Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for his inability to control Texas’s surging case numbers in a Monday interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell.
“This is a function of leadership — or lack thereof,” the former Democratic presidential candidate said, before citing the high case, hospitalization and positivity rates Texas is experiencing. “This virus is out of control, with no leadership from our governor, no leadership from the president.”
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Texas has now seen a rapid increase in the virus, breaking the 10,000 hospitalizations threshold last week.
The state health department has estimated there are 124,659 active cases in the state and 3,235 deaths.
Abbot has come under criticism from Democrats for not issuing an order that people wear masks or face coverings until July 2.
They have also said that he should have reopened the state more slowly as cases rose.
With rising case numbers, Abbott has walked back some of the state’s reopening, closing bars, reducing restaurant occupancy levels and including more counties in executive orders that ban elective surgeries.
Abbot has also come under the criticism from fellow Republicans, however, who say the steps he has taken to control the virus go too far.
Republican committees in eight Texas counties have voted to censure the governor for his executive orders mandating face coverings, limiting gatherings and closing bars.
Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507108-orourke-rips-texas-governor-this-virus-is-out-of-control
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