PARIS, Texas – Barely a week ago, rural Lamar County could make a pretty good argument for Texas' reopening on Friday.
Only a handful of the 50,000 residents here, right on the border with Oklahoma, had tested positive for the coronavirus. None had died.
The mayor of Paris, Texas — a pit stop for drivers passing through to snap a selfie with the city's miniaturized Eiffel Tower — had drive-thru virus testing in the works, just to give locals peace of mind.
Some wore masks but many saw little reason to bother. Then an outbreak at a nursing home turned up over the weekend. Now at least 65 people are infected, and everything has changed.