Now that Dallas and Tarrant Counties have mask mandates, NBC 5 started reaching out to other counties and cities, to see if they would follow suit.
In Collin County, there is not currently a mask ordinance. NBC 5 requested an interview with Judge Chris Hill on Thursday. He said he was unavailable and that they would include us when they had a public statement ready for release. But one Collin County City Mayor is not ruling an ordinance out
“It’s a very volatile subject and I’m sure I will take harsh criticism for even suggesting that McKinney may in fact do that. But at the end of the day, we have escalating cases, positive cases. We have a health concern. We can't ignore it, we can't just will it away, we can't wish it away, we can't ignore it away,” said McKinney Mayor George Fuller. “We are either going to have to all take responsibility and take steps, myself included, better steps than I have been. But either we are going to do that, and take that responsibility, or cases are going to continue to get worse, and as mayor of this city, I am going to look at every option available to me to protect the city, if we seem to not be able to do it on our own,” Fuller added.
Denton county reported record-high new cases on Wednesday. Masks have been discussed at a city council meeting. NBC 5 also requested an interview with Denton County Judge Andy Eads. He was unavailable and we were told they are wrapping up the week and reviewing statistics. Earlier in the week, Representative Michelle Beckley of Carrollton wrote a letter asking Judge Eads for a mask ordinance, saying there should be uniformity in North Texas.
“The mantra is wash your hands, wear a mask, social distance. And you know, the reality is people are going out and not wearing a mask, and we have got to slow this spread down,” said Beckley.
Plano does not have a mask mandate, and a statement from the director of media relations said, “Throughout the pandemic, we have asked our residents for voluntary compliance on CDC guidelines designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. That includes social distancing, hand washing and facial coverings. Everyone must take responsibility for stopping the spread of the virus.”
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
We also contacted the city of Frisco about a mask ordinance. The city is not mandating masks at this time, and said in a statement, “We echo Governor Abbott’s stance on the subject. We recognize many of our businesses are already requesting patrons wear masks and we support their preference. We continue to encourage residents to do what makes them feel most safe – that is, stay home when possible, social distance, sanitize and wash hands often, and wear masks when appropriate. As we ‘Open Frisco’ and Texas, each business owner should look at everything they can do to help prevent the spread of the virus, which could include requiring masks.“
