AUSTIN, Texas — After news of Gov. Greg Abbott's positive COVID-19 diagnosis broke Tuesday evening, the outpouring of well wishes for his recovery has been accompanied by an increase in pressure for Abbott to repeal his executive order banning mask mandates.
What You Need To Know
- Despite having no symptoms, Gov. Abbott is receiving Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment
- Parents are concerned for their children's safety as they return to school amid COVID cases surging
- More than 50 school districts in Texas defied Gov. Abbott's mask mandate ban
“I have tested positive for COVID-19," said Gov. Abbott in a video posted on Twitter Tuesday evening. “I have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and that may be one reason why I’m really not feeling any symptoms right now.”
Abbott’s office says the governor’s close contacts were notified of his diagnosis, which came a day after he spoke to a crowd of hundreds of people, mostly unmasked.
A spokesperson for the governor's office said in a statement Tuesday that Abbott is isolating in the Governor’s Mansion, and though he is not experiencing any symptoms, he is receiving Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment.
“For a lot of people, this looks hypocritical from the governor. It looks like he's effectively getting the best treatment and able to withstand some of the sort of issues that come with COVID, whereas a lot of people in Texas, especially parents, are desperately worried about what's going to happen to their school kids who don't always have the same access to the same kinds of medical treatments that the governor might have," said Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston.
“The irony of it is really tough to take," said Jennifer Margulies, parent of an Austin ISD student. "He can actually take action to make sure that other people in Texas - children and adults - have the same kind of protections and care that he has access to.”
It’s frustrating many parents who are concerned their about children’s safety returning to school as the delta variant rages.
“The governor has access to vaccination, he has access to daily testing, he has access to immediate monoclonal antibody treatment before he's even experienced a single symptom, none of which our kids under 12 in Texas have," said Margulies.
“A lot of positive test cases are already showing up in campuses all over the district, and [in] other districts around the state, it’s even worse," Austin ISD parent James Moseley said.
Austin and Dallas ISDs are two of more than 50 school districts across the state that are defying the governor’s executive order and requiring masks to keep their students safe.
“It’s incredibly frustrating that our state leadership seems to be doing everything they can to make it more difficult for families and schools to be safe," said Margulies.
“It doesn't make any sense. Do they not see that we don't, that there are no pediatric ICU beds and Dallas school is starting. There all these kids back in person, and they want us to have no protections whatsoever," said Chris Leal, middle school teacher in Dallas ISD.