New cases of the virus and subsequent hospitalizations in Texas continue to skyrocket weeks after the state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, announced the reopening of retail stores, bars, and other businesses in the state.
Abbott announced in April that he would begin phase I of Texas's reopening process—a move which was largely in opposition to advice from scientific and medical experts.
Last week, Texas reached a single day high in new cases. On Monday, it saw its third straight day of record hospitalizations.
In audio leaked early last month, Abbott admitted that he knew reopening would lead to a spike in cases.
But Abbot isn't laying the blame on a premature reopening—he's blaming it on the youth of Texas.
Abbot told local Texas news outlet KRGV:
"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. People of that age group, they're not following these appropriate, best health safety practices."
Abbot said that because many of those testing positive were in their 20s, then 20 year olds weren't following proper protocols and therefore were to blame.
More than a few people saw that as hypocrisy.
Abbot and his officials constantly emphasized the need to reopen and patronize the state economy. His own Lieutenant General Dan Patrick implied that grandparents would be happy to potentially sacrifice themselves if it meant their children got to live in a reopened economy, continuing to say that there were "more important things than living."
People argued that Abbott granted the ability and encouraged the decision to patronize the Texas economy at the risk of Texans.
Not a good look, Governor.
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