PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The mayor of Port Arthur is worried about the safety of his city and offered a message of caution as Texas gets ready to reopen.
On Friday a number of businesses in Texas will begin to reopen, but Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie is encouraging residents to remain cautious.
The mayor is especially worried about the vulnerable population in the city.
That includes those who are 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions.
Bartie also emphasized the importance of getting tested during a Thursday press conference outside Port Arthur’s city hall.
He especially noted that African Americans and Hispanics who make up a majority of Port Arthur residents should get tested.
As the state begins to reopen, Bartie is encouraging those who do go out to take those extra precautions seriously.
“We’re going to have a new normal coming out of this whether we want to believe it or not. And we are going to be faced with this and we can make this new normal work,” he said.
“But the only way we're going to make it work in our favor is we've got to agree to it, embrace it, and once we do those things we'll be able to move forward.”
Currently, people are not required to wear face masks in public, however, city officials in Port Arthur are encouraging residents to use them if they leave their homes.