Mayors are pleading with their Republican governors to follow the science and shut down states over the coronavirus

Associated Press/Evan Vucci

• Mayors across the country are on the frontlines of fighting the spread of the coronavirus in vulnerable urban areas. 
• But the governors of several large red states, including Arizona, Texas, and Florida, are largely leaving local officials to fight their own battles or usurping local authority.
• Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told Insider that Gov. Doug Ducey has largely stripped her power to respond to the crisis. The governor finally issued a "stay at home" order after Gallego and eight other Arizona mayors signed a letter demanding he do so. 
• Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Texas has to work together to keep people home and slow the spread. He called Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's comments that older Americans would gladly sacrifice their lives to reopen the economy more quickly "a false choice."
• At the same time, several other red-state governors, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have pushed back on the president's downplaying of the crisis and acted quickly to crackdown on the virus' spread.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Mayors across the country are on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus, but several Republican governors are being accused of slow-walking or even undermining local officials' efforts.

By Monday, at least 29 states had put statewide "stay at home" orders in place, meaning more than two-thirds of US residents are ordered to stay home except for essential activities, including medical appointments and grocery shopping. But major states like Texas and Florida have so far refused.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Extremists turned a frog meme into a hate symbol, but Hong Kong protesters revived it as an emblem of hope

See Also:

• The Justice Department is reportedly investigating actions by US lawmakers who dumped stocks before the market plunged over coronavirus fears
• Trump berated a black journalist, telling her to 'be nice' and not 'threatening' at a coronavirus briefing, but she refused to take the bait
• Who is Dominic Raab? The anti-feminist who could replace Boris Johnson if the prime minister is laid low by coronavirus

SEE ALSO: Mayor Francis Suarez is convinced thousands in Miami have the coronavirus, thinks the governor should lock down Florida, and says its impact 'can become apocalyptic'

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/2UMPfDN