Austin has not yet had a documented case of Covid-19, and the city fathers are trying hard to keep it that way, or at least trying hard to appear doing so. Not that we are cynical about this — we are not, actually — but neither are we unmindful of the political stress around this crisis at all levels of government.
The city of Austin has imposed potentially crippling limitations on events that gather more than 2500 people, which are a big part of the city’s brand, as it were. Events expecting more than that number must get separate approval from health officials, presumably conditioned on prevailing Covid-19 risk under all the circumstances and plans to mitigate it. University of Texas sporting events are continuing as usual, supposedly because people do not travel from far away to attend them.
Except, you know, from all over Texas, including Houston and San Antonio where there are documented cases, and never mind the fans of the visiting teams.
That might be where one would sound cynical, if one were so disposed.
Regardless, all of this makes us wonder whether the politicians in charge of Milwaukee and Charlotte are so happy to be hosting the Democratic and Republican conventions in July and August. If the novel coronavirus remains “a thing” this summer, and we expect that it will, will they do the right thing?
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