On Monday, 51 Texas lawmakers boarded planes for Washington, DC
The legislature, the bulk of the House of Representatives Democratic Delegation from Texas, had fled her state in hopes of stopping a vote on bills that would change the times and ways that citizens in the state would vote, as well as the experience Texans might have when voting. Democrats say the proposed laws would come with the very real possibility of voter suppression and intimidation; for example, a measure in question would be untrained and armed Election observers, to stand close enough to the voters to see how they vote.
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On Saturday, that developing political story ran headlong into the reality of the ongoing pandemic when three of the Texas Democrats reported testing positive for COVID-19.
Continue reading: In Texas, the Democrats are campaigning against election restrictions
All three MPs had been vaccinated, according to their group, as had most of the other members of the Texas House of Representatives. Among those who tested positive on Saturday was 57-year-old MP Celia Israel, a Democrat who a district that includes Austin and nearby suburbs. The District where colored people make up the majority of residents reports one of the higher vaccination rates in the state. It consists primarily of Travis County, where 61.84% of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated like their representatives. Nationwide, approximately 59% of all Texas residents in this age group are fully vaccinated.
“Let this be a reminder that COVID-19 is still very much among us, with infection rates rising and more infectious variants spreading nationwide,” Israel said in a statement released Saturday evening. “Although I fully followed CDC guidelines and am fully vaccinated, it will not 100% prevent infection.
“Fortunately, I am fine and I hope to have survived the infection with mild symptoms. I am currently in quarantine until I test negative. I urge anyone who is not vaccinated to do so as soon as possible to stop the spread. ”
The Texas House Democratic Committee not identified the other two members of the delegation who tested positive for the coronavirus. (I was made aware of the status of Israel because I was in masked but close contact with her while reporting this week.) COVID-19 cases have become ascending in Texas, like most states in the United States, have the experts attributed to Factors such as the highly contagious Delta variant and the slowdown in the vaccination rate. On Thursday, Austin officials dressed the city’s COVID-19 guidelines in response to an alarming surge in cases.
Continue reading: Texas was already one of the hardest states to choose. It could get harder
Before the news of the positive tests, Outlets like Fox News, as well as the legislature political opponents at home, had highlighted images of lawmakers on board a charter flight from Texas to Washington, DC, where many did not appear to have worn masks. While commercial airlines require all passengers to wear masks while in flight, current CDC guidelines do not recommend them for those who are fully vaccinated. Breakthrough COVID-19 cases are still possible after vaccination – as would be the case with any vaccine – but there are proofs that these cases can be less severe. A nap analysis found that about 99% of COVID-19 hospital admissions in the US were unvaccinated in May.
Israel also thanked its Republican and Democratic counterparts for the good wishes and concern some expressed for them and their partner, whom Israel planned to marry in the Texas House of Representatives on Thursday, before the delegation decided to flee the state.
“Most importantly, I hope this case underscores the sacrifices we are ready to make for the cause of democracy,” said the legislature in her statement. “I wouldn’t change anything to protect the right to vote.”
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