Mayor Nirenberg warns ‘we may have no choice but to rollback’ if COVID-19 surge continues

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Mayor Ron Nirenberg says the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Texas in June and July shows that “our state moved too soon and too fast” in reopening the economy.

“A healthy economy can only start with healthy people, but our well-being is threatened by this surge,” he posted in a tweet.  “If we’re unable to contain the spread, we’ll have no choice but to rollback.”

He said if  the COVID-19 numbers continue to surge, “we’re going to be forced into a situation nobody wants to see, which is to shut down activities. We can stop that if we work together.”

Nirenberg said the governor’s recent rollback, which shut down bars again, was a step in the right direction.

“I think there are some further rollbacks that we need to do with regard to mass gatherings,” the mayor said.

He has often lamented the number of exceptions in the governor’s executive order restricting mass gatherings.

Nirenberg’s tweet follows the Houston mayor’s request for a two-week shutdown.  Mayor Sylvester Turner announced today said he wants to get the virus under control before school starts in August.

The deadly June-July peak of COVID-19 in Texas has shown that our state moved too soon & too fast.

A healthy economy can only start with healthy people, but our well-being is threatened by this surge.

If we’re unable to contain the spread, we’ll have no choice but to rollback.

— Mayor Ron | Wear a mask! 😷 (@Ron_Nirenberg) July 13, 2020