State and local leaders in Texas are condemning a “Mask Off” party planned at a Houston nightclub the same day the state is rescinding its mask mandate and capacity limits for business operators.
The venue, Concrete Cowboy, says on its website that it can accommodate 400 people and advertised promotions for the maskless party before they were taken down on Monday, Fox News reported.
State Rep. Ann Johnson blasted the venue’s decision to host the event during a press conference on Sunday, according to a statement obtained by Washington Examiner.
“We are here to condemn the event on Wednesday night by [Concrete Cowboy], which is just a few blocks away,” Johnson said. “They are planning to hold a large ‘Mask Off’ party, where for hours indoors, drinking, dancing, shouting at one another, they will incur the additional risk that we see through this COVID-19 pandemic and the varieties are here and the variants that are widespread throughout our city.”
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The Democratic representative underscored the risk of heightened COVID-19 transmission before most of the population has been vaccinated, citing a Texas Tribune report noting that only 7.7% of Texans have been fully vaccinated.
Her statement included a social media screenshot of a promotional image about the Concrete Cowboy event, which has since been deleted.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed Johnson’s concerns at the conference, adding, “The governor eased the restrictions, and the numbers started going back up.”
He called on Abbott to reverse his decision.
“With all due respect, there’s nothing wrong with stepping back and reversing and imposing the mask mandate again,” the Democratic mayor said.
It is unclear whether the event, slated for March 10, is still happening.
On March 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state would rescind its mask mandate and allow business operators to reopen at 100% capacity. The move sparked controversy among some state residents and officials who fear the relaxed measures could cause another spike in COVID-19 infections.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom balked at Abbott’s “terrible mistake” last week as his administration announced support for residents “double-masking.”
The area has recorded an average of 703 virus cases in the past 14 days, nearly 1,300 fewer or a 65% decrease from the cases reported one month ago, according to a Saturday update to Harris County’s COVID-19 tracker.
Still, the county’s current COVID-19 threat indicator lists the city in threat Level 1, a severe “stay home” warning indicating outbreaks are worsening in the area.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Concrete Cowboy, Abbott, Turner, and Johnson for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
