Austin Mayor Adler Orders Another Partial COVID Shutdown. Texas Gov. Abbott Says He Can’t.
By Bryan Preston
With COVID-related hospitalizations on the rise, but with little to no data demonstrating that shutdowns actually help slow the spread of the virus down, Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) has ordered a partial restaurant and bar shutdown across the New Year’s holiday in the city.
.@MayorAdler announces that Austin/Travis County restaurants and bars must stop dine-in food and beverage service from 10:30 p.m.-6 a.m., effective Dec. 31-Jan. 3.
Violation is a criminal offense to not exceed $1,000 fine @KXAN_News https://t.co/jCpkf5WFrR
— John Engel (@EngelsAngle) December 30, 2020
Restaurants don’t appear to be major COVID spread vectors, yet they’re being shuttered (again).
If shutdowns worked, California would be in the COVID catbird seat. It’s one of the nation’s most shut down states, with 47 counties on stay-at-home shutdown. But the San Francisco Chronicle says California has the worst COVID surge in the nation, by far. It’s considering rationing healthcare because its COVID surge is so strong.
Florida, meanwhile, is far more open, and is suffering much less of a COVID surge.
The wisdom of shutdowns is scientifically questionable, and economically ruinous.