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Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope and the City of Lubbock held a virtual press conference on Wednesday to discuss the rising cases of coronavirus in Lubbock.

On Tuesday, the City of Lubbock reported 585 new cases of COVID-19. As of Tuesday evening, 282 people had died from coronavirus complications. A total of 26,693 citizens have contracted the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.

Mayor Pope told citizens in the press conference that Lubbock was not shutting down. However, the mayor announced that by the end of the week, the city manager will officially announce that Lubbock will be closing large, city-run facilities through the end of the year.

The city manager will also announce that athletic facilities, again those run by the City of Lubbock, will close through the end of the year.

The mayor also said that the City Council, boards, and commissions will all meet virtually for the rest of the year.

The goal is to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Lubbock and to reduce the strain on local hospitals.

During the press conference, the Mayor also said that the City would be meeting with "big box" retailers regarding occupancy levels and masks. Pope said the City will ask the big box stores to voluntarily reduce occupancy levels and ask that employees and customers wear masks. Pope applauded Costco for requiring all customers to either wear a mask or face shield.

The mayor stressed that there was no shutdown in Lubbock, but asked citizens to shop from home when they could.

See Striking Photos of the Tourism Industry During COVID-19

 

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