Standing alongside local business owners, Edinburg city leaders made it clear that the use of masks would still be required within their property as part of continued safety precautions against COVID-19.
The city made the announcement during a news conference Wednesday morning just as an order lifting the statewide mask mandate went into effect.
The order, issued by Gov. Greg Abbott last week, prohibited local cities from requiring individuals from wearing masks in public. But City Attorney Omar Ochoa said the governor’s office confirmed that local governments can continue to enforce masks on local government property and their premises and so the city would continue to do that.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, a year ago or so, the city has always taken the position that we’re going to do everything in our power, in our legal power, to ensure the safety of the community,” said City Manager Ron Garza.
“Here in the city of Edinburg, in terms of facilities and events, nothing is changing,” Garza added. “We have confidence in the protection measures that masks do; we have confidence in the fact that occupancy levels at a reduced capacity do help so we’re in a position now that we want to continue having those requirements.”
Abbott’s order also allows businesses to implement their own safety measures, including the use of masks, on their own premises, a move many businesses have already come out and said they would make.
Representatives from some of those businesses appeared at Wednesday’s news conference as a show of unity with the city in maintaining those safety measures in place.
The businesses included Willie B’s Barbeque, Style + Grace Boutique, America’s Best Tae Kwon Do – Karate & Mixed Martial Arts, Fabulicious Nutrition, 4R Country Store, and Build A Burger.
Glen Morgan, owner of America’s Best, said he wanted to show support for the city, adding that he didn’t think it was yet time to stop using masks.
“There’s going to be some people that are going to be unhappy about it but we’re going to continue,” Morgan said about his business’s use of masks, however, he wasn’t too concerned that it would cause any problems at his establishment.
“We want to be safe,” Morgan said. “We deal with a lot of kids and I’d like to 70-80% of the people vaccinated first.”
Ricardo Cruz, co-owner of Build A Burger, said he wasn’t too concerned about possible pushback from customers over the mask requirement.
“We feel that, for the most part, our customers are being respectful,” Cruz said. “We might have some and if we do, we try to provide the best customer service as possible that we can and be very respectful of their way of thinking but we are going to enforce the mask.”
Cruz added that while Abbott’s order allows business to reopen at 100% capacity, their restaurant would only open at 75%.
“When the city had required that we could go up to 50%, we decide that we were going to stay at 25%, when the city said we could go to 75%, we stayed at 50%,” he said, “and now that they’re going to 100%, we’re going to go ahead and stay at 75%.”
“That’s just going to be, again, for the protection of our employees, our customers, and everyone that we work with,” Cruz said. “We want to be able to be safe in what we’re doing.”
If customer refuses to wear a mask at businesses that require one, the business has the right to refuse service to that individual, according to Ochoa, the city attorney.
If the person still refuses to put on the mask and refuses to leave the premises, they can request assistance from the Edinburg police department.
“Our goal is not to make an arrest, our goal is to have our citizens comply,” said Edinburg Police Chief Cesar Torres. “We will ask our Edinburg police officers to be wearing masks, just in case a citizen needs one.”
When called for assistance, officers would first attempt to get the person to comply by putting on the mask and, if necessary, will assist in removing that person from the premises.
“It is a violation of law if you refuse to wear a mask and not leave the premises if you’re asked to do so,” Torres said, adding that such a violation is a Class B misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine up to $2,000 and/or 180 days in jail.
“I don’t believe we’re going to have that issue here in Edinburg,” Torres said. “We’re honored that our residents here in Edinburg have been complying and we appreciate that.”
Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina reflected on the effects the pandemic has over the past year, emphasizing the necessity to continue following health and safety precautions.
“As of today, 2,698 Hidalgo County residents have lost their battle to the coronavirus and our hearts go out to those families,” Molina said. “But let me assure you there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
The mayor noted reminded that the city was working with their partners to continue distributing doses of COVID-19 vaccines but noted there was limited availability.
“Of course we would love to return back to the sense of normalcy that we had in 2019,” Molina said. “We’re getting closer but let me assure you that we’re not just there yet. There is still work to be done to protect our community and the ones we love.”
