SEE BELOW: Houston Mayor Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo s joint letter to the governor
In the wake of the announcement, Hidalgo called the governor s decision wishful thinking, and at worst, a cynical attempt to distract Texans from the failures of state oversight of our power grid. She said, in full: Taking away critical public health interventions that we know are working won t make our community safer, nor will it hasten our return to normalcy. Quite the opposite, every time public health measures have been pulled back, we ve seen a spike in hospitalizations. If we start the climb now, we d be starting from the highest starting point ever when it comes to our hospital population, an unacceptable and dangerous proposition. With the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, we re inching closer to the finish line of this pandemic - now is not the time to reverse the gains we ve worked so hard to achieve. At best, today s decision is wishful thinking. At worst, it is a cynica
Coronavirus Texas: Houston Mayor Turner and Harris Co. Judge plead with Gov. Abbott to keep mandates abc13.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc13.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
President Joe Biden surveys Texas weather damage, encourages virus shots
AP
HOUSTON, Texas President Joe Biden heard firsthand from Texans clobbered by this month s brutal winter weather on Friday and pledged to stick with them for the long haul as he made his first trip to a major disaster area since he took office.
Biden was briefed by emergency officials and thanked workers for doing God s work. He promised the federal government will be there for Texans as they try to recover, not just from the historic storm but also the public health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
President Joe Biden departing Houston after surveying storm relief and COVID-19 vaccination efforts abc13.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc13.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
President Joe Biden departing Houston after surveying storm relief and COVID-19 vaccination efforts KTRK
President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden are poised to depart from Houston this evening, winding down an expansive but short visit to a city still impacted by last week s winter storm.
He also made his way to NRG Park, where FEMA s COVID-19 vaccination site rolled along. It is one of three built with federal backing in Texas.
The Bidens are due to depart from Ellington Field on Air Force One.
You can watch the departure inside the streaming apps of ABC13.
Below is our earlier reporting on the president and first lady s visit earlier in the day Friday.