State Board of Education Member Georgina C. Pérez, Senator César Blanco, and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego strongly encourage local public health authority to require masks in El Paso County public schools.

El Paso - Currently, the hospitals in the El Paso community are nearly at capacity treating non-COVID patients. El Paso is also experiencing a shortage of medical personnel to treat patients. These are patients who are suffering from heart attacks, stroke and other ailments. If a surge of COVID infections were to hit El Paso, the existing capacity issues would overwhelm El Paso’s hospital systems beyond the point that was seen last Fall. To keep our kids, teachers, and school staff safe, we have pledged to support school districts that require face coverings in accordance with guidance from the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Department of Education, and local health authorities. We have learned that mitigation efforts, including the use of a face covering, can save the lives of our children and teachers and allow them to focus on learning.
 
As more and more Texas communities take decisive action to protect public safety by defying Governor Abbott's ban on mask mandates, we strongly encourage Dr. Ocarranza to consider a mask requirement to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community and keep our children safe. As the health authority for El Paso County, Dr. Ocarranza has both the authority and the responsibility to protect public health, and we stand ready to provide support. Nothing is more important than keeping our kids safe. The time for action is now.