Border residents express misgivings on eve of Texas reopening for business
Two days before Texas allows non-essential businesses to reopen, some Downtown El Paso merchants resumed operations. Gov. Greg Abbott said most businesses can reopen at 25% capacity and observing social distancing rules. He said the rules could be relaxed further absent a spike in COVID-19 cases. Border Report documented at least a half-dozen cellphone and clothing stores that had remained closed for nearly a month engage in sales on Wednesday afternoon in Downtown El Paso. Some stores taped cardboard signs stating no more than 10 persons were allowed at a time and encouraging the use of facemasks. Others did not. Read Julian Resendiz’s report here.
Mexican border state implements strict virus-prevention measures as Texas loosens restrictions
The Mexican border state of Tamaulipas has implemented strict precautionary measures to prevent further spread COVID-19 during a spike in cases, an advisor to the governor of the state told Border Report on Wednesday. Francisco Galvan, a representative from the Texas Tamaulipas Trade Office and an adviser to Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca said in a telephone interview that Tamaulipas officials are restricting vehicles by license plate numbers, order facial coverings and other measures to flatten the curve of escalating cases. Read Sandra Sanchez’s report here.
Nurse delivers love letters from worried families to COVID-19 patients
Margarita Hernandez has been a nurse at Tijuana’s Hospital General Regional No. 1 in for 12 years, but lately she’s turned into the facility’s “mail carrier.” Every afternoon before her shift begins at 1:30 p.m., she walks outside and pops open a pink backpack that quickly fills up with letters from people gathered outside. The letters are meant for loved ones who have COVID-19 and are under care at the hospital. Read Salvador Rivera’s report here.
