North Houston News

A woman allegedly kept her son in a car trunk to protect herself from COVID-19. This was sharply criticized by Texas gubernatorial candidate Don Huffines. 

According to Fox News, a 42-year-old woman in Houston allegedly placed her COVID-positive son in the trunk of a car as they drove to a testing site to avoid coming into contact with the virus.

An individual at the drive-thru site saw the boy in the trunk and told law enforcement. The woman was arrested, but upon her court appearance, the judge said he did not see probable cause for her arrest. She is an English teacher at Cypress Falls High School and has been placed on administrative leave.

"It is horrifying to think that a mother would lock her child in a trunk to avoid a mild respiratory virus," Huffines said. "People must be held accountable for such wanton endangerment of children, but activist judges are more concerned with protecting the COVID narrative. As governor, I will stop the cruel isolation of children in Texas and abusive parents like this woman will be held accountable."

This is a situation that could have been aggravated by the stress many people are feeling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

A UNICEF report has discovered that government-mandated lockdowns and school closures negatively impacted children's mental health, leading to more fear, stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, loss of learning, and poor physical activity and sleeping habits. On the converse, the report did note some positives as well, including time with family.

"The use of digital technology during the pandemic provided social connectedness, remote learning opportunities, and a way to cope with isolation and stress," UNICEF Innocenti research consultant Manasi Sharma said, according to the UNICEF website. "Engaging in positive coping strategies, prosocial behaviors and online learning opportunities have been key factors in building children’s resilience during this time, and these need to be highlighted and harnessed through greater investment in mental health promotion and prevention interventions."

Huffines vowed, if elected, to ban vaccine passports, stop employers in Texas from discriminating against current or future employees based on vaccination status, end mask mandates and take various other actions to protect the health decisions of Texas residents.