With the COVID-19 Delta variant spreading and moving fast in Texas, first responders are once again getting infected.
Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Fire Fighters Association reported Monday that 31 members of the department are now quarantined due to the virus.
Per DFFA, 21 firefighters as of Monday have active cases, and 10 others have had recent exposure to the virus. DFFA President Jim McDade is worried about staffing shortages, leading to members of his union getting overworked.
Those concerns are amplified by a legal tightrope the department is trying to navigate due to Gov. Greg Abbott's recent executive order banning local municipalities or counties from mandating masks.
Current CDC guidelines say that anyone fully vaccinated should get tested 3-5 days following known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and should wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result.