‘Kill the olds to save the economy!’ Twitter rips Texas GOP governor for passing the buck on COVID surge

Surge in COVID-19 after Texas Governor reopens state: he blames young people in their 20s

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As Texas reopens amid the pandemic, a spike in COVID-19 cases makes the Lone Star state the 6th worst affected in the nation. The Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, has the answer for who is to blame: young people in their 20’s.

On Monday, Abbott held a press conference. He spoke about the surge of new infections, including a spike of cases among prison inmates, and a rise in numbers following the Memorial Day holiday. As states relax their lockdown restrictions, the coronavirus numbers are on the rise.

Texas reported its biggest daily increase, with 4,098 new cases of COVID-19 in just 24 hours.

Health experts were divided over Governor’s Abbott’s plan to reopen Texas. Some praised his phased plan, while others cautioned it was too quick. Houston health leaders put forward a collated strategy that set the opening date 10 days later than the one chosen by the governor.

Abbott, however, wanted Texans to go back to work.

Epidemiologists vs Economists

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Texas has bars and restaurants now operating at 75% capacity and concerts taking place.

Some Dallas restaurants have chosen to remain with a lower capacity of clientele because they fear 75% could be too high during a pandemic. There is an ongoing debate about the immediate health care risks by opening too soon, versus the long term economic implications of a prolonged lockdown.

The state reported 14,000 new COVID-19 infections over the last week, with a record of 2,504 diseases on Wednesday alone. “Not a reason for alarm,” says Abbott.

Young people are to blame

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Critics blame the latest coronavirus figures to a premature opening, that has seen restaurants operating at 75% capacity and people gathering in public without face masks.

The Texas Governor believes people between 20 and 29 are partially to blame. He pointed to the lack of “basic health safety practices” practiced by this group. Bloomberg published an article last month criticizing the lack of social distancing among students celebrating spring break in Texas.

“They are not wearing face masks, they’re not sanitizing their hands, they’re not maintaining social distancing,” Abbot said.

No wait, summer is to blame

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The Texas Governor thought the arrival of summer had indirectly caused a surge in COVID-19 cases. He warned that residents are letting down their guard as recreational activities restart.

Twitter was quick to point out Abbot had encouraged sectors to open up and ignored the advice of the health experts.

Twitter lashed back

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Twitter was quick to remember that Governor Abbott stood by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s controversial comment about sacrificing elderly people for the economy: “there are more important things than living.”

Hindsight is a wonderful thing

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Abbott warned that Texans are dangerously relaxed; they “feel like they can go out without having to wear a face mask.” He continued:

“They are not realizing this very important fact — COVID-19 still exists in Texas, in America and across the globe,” he added. “If you do not use these safe strategies, you will test positive for COVID-19.”

As of Monday, Texas had over 89,000 cases of COVID-19, nearly 2,000 deaths, and over 59,000 recoveries. Texas is the 6th worst state in terms of the coronavirus, and the numbers are going up.

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