Since Gov. Greg Abbott has allowed businesses across the state to reopen and rendered mask-wearing unenforceable, city and county leaders have been urging their communities to take matters into their own hands to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“We’ve been preempted by the state,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler told NPR on Tuesday. “So at this point I can just make recommendations to the community and recognize that the community actually chooses what happens regardless of what the governor allows or doesn’t allow.”
Adler spoke with NPR’s Steve Inskeep about the recent rise in cases and hospitalizations in the Austin area and the mixed messaging he thinks the community is getting from state and national leadership.
“People are confused,” Adler said. “They just don’t know at this point if it’s really important to wear face coverings or not.”
Listen to the interview:
