Residents ‘fight back’ against lockdown order at nightclub in shocking way
TEXAS residents have defied orders by their state governor to stay at home by attending a packed dance party hosted by a bar.
Texas must ‘come together’ to stop virus spread says governor
It comes after Republican governor of Texas Greg Abbott has repeatedly urged Texans to stay at home and socially distance themselves.
He also abruptly ordered all Texas bars to shut at mid-day on June 26, and said restaurants must reduce their capacity to 50 percent.
Texas has been experiencing a surge in new cases for much of June and July, recording 11,394 new Coronavirus infection on July 9, according to Worldometer figures.
For comparison, the same source shows the state confirmed 1,748 new cases on the same date in June.
And a WebMD report states a dozen hospitals in the Houston, Texas, have hit or neared capacity around three times as often as the same time in 2019.
But despite the surge in cases, a dance hall in the Texas city of Pasadena last weekend encouraged customers to defy the governor’s orders and attend a ‘Texas Bars Fight Back Rally’.
READ: US state sees 'apocalyptic' surge of coronavirus cases as America battles second outbreaks
Patrons of Chuters Dance Hall & Saloon in Pasadena, TX took to the dance floor Sunday to protest Gov. Greg Abbott's ordered closing of Texas bars. More on the region's response @HoustonChron : https://t.co/sVFmW51SYo pic.twitter.com/ULBnyn6Q12
— Mark Mulligan (@mrkmully) July 13, 2020
According to the Houston Chronicle, the dance floor at Chuters Dance Hall and Saloon was ‘crowded’ with customers who did not choose to wear face masks.
Customer Kristina Reff told the paper: “I believe everyone has the right to work for a living, and I believe they have a right to be open like any other business.”
The dance club had opened for the first time earlier this year, before being ordered to shut down in March, according to reports.
After the announcement they would have to close again towards the end of June, the club’s owners Chris and Helen Bergeron told Texas news site MySanAntonio: “It doesn’t make no sense whatsoever and it’s totally discrimination”.
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A Facebook post by the establishment on July 12 encouraged Texans to come to an event it was hosting, in which speakers, including “future Republican candidate for Texas governor” Martin Holsome, would be “fighting for our constitutional right to run our business.”
On June 22, Governor Abbott declared COVID-19 was “spreading at an unacceptable rate” and said “it is up to all of us” to help slow the rate of infection.
He said: “We need all Texans to follow the safety protocols developed by our team of medical experts, including staying home if you are sick or at risk, sanitizing your hands, social distancing, and wearing face coverings or masks.
COVID-19 hasn't gone away, but neither has our ability to slow the spread of it. Texans have shown that we don't have to choose between jobs and health—we can have both.”
And this month, the governor has made various announcements including bringing in US Army medical forces to help Texas hospitals cope with cases.
And on July 10, the governor said he would be extending the state’s Disaster Declaration that had initially been issued on March 13.
Governor Abbott said: “Extending this Disaster Declaration helps ensure that Texas has the resources and flexibility needed to effectively respond to COVID-19.
“To further mitigate the spread of the virus and overcome this challenge, Texans should continue to do their part by wearing a mask, social distancing, and staying home if possible.