Texas is seeing COVID-19 cases rising at record numbers. This could be due to Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to drop stay-at-home orders and open up the state.
But according to him, he’s not to blame – it’s young adults in their 20s who are to blame.
Abbott admonished young adults for failing to heed public health advice amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday.
“We are beginning to see for the month of June an increase in the number of people testing positive who are in the age group the 20s, meaning between the age of 20 and 29,” Abbott told KRGV. “People of that age group, they’re not following these appropriate, best health safety practices.”
“They are not wearing face masks, they’re not sanitizing their hands, they’re not maintaining social distancing,” he added. “And as a result, they are contracting COVID-19 at a record pace in the state of Texas.”
Abbott claimed that if people followed the guidelines, then there wouldn’t be so many cases.
“It is still here,” Abbott said. “Until we have medicines that can treat it, you are putting your own life on the line if you go out and do not follow these safe practices, you’re increasing the probability that you will get COVID-19.”
Abbott said residents could be taking the health threat less seriously for a number of reasons, including the summer arriving and recreational activities opening up. He said that the pandemic requires that people do not treat typical summer activities, such as going to the beach, as they might in more normal times.
“We believe that a lot of people have let down their guard,” the governor told KLBK. “The summer’s here. Things are opening up. They feel like they can go out without having to wear a face mask.”
“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.”
Texas now sits sixth among all states in COVID-19 cases.
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