Politics
Texas plan to lift Covid mask mandate branded ‘absolutely reckless’ by California Gov as state says it will reopen fully
A DECISION to abolish the statewide mask mandate in Texas has been branded “absolutely reckless” by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday that after eight months, people will no longer be required to wear masks in public from March 10 as he looks to reopen the state “100 per cent”.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday that an executive order will lift his state’s mask mandate and allow business to open at full capacity[/caption]
People will no longer be required to wear a mask in public in Texas from March 10[/caption]
The executive order also gives businesses the green light to open at full capacity, removing restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.
Abbott said: “We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 per cent.
“Make no mistake, Covid-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations, and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed.”
But the decision has been blasted by Newsom, who labelled the move as “absolutely reckless” on Twitter.
Abbott previously faced sharp criticism from his own party over Texas’ mandate, which was imposed eight months ago but only lightly enforced during the worst periods of the pandemic.
Texas will also do away with limits on the number of diners that businesses can serve indoors, said Abbott, who made his announcement at a restaurant in Lubbock.
“Removing statewide mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Abbott, speaking from a crowded dining room where many of those surrounding him were not wearing masks.
California Governor Gavin Newson has branded Abbott’s decision as ‘absolutely wreckless’[/caption]
“It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed,” he said.
“In fact, our case numbers have fallen to the point where no county meets the original criteria for a mask mandate.”
However, some restrictions will remain in place including a capacity limit of 50% on indoor arenas.
And in K-12 schools both students and educators must wear a mask where social distancing is not possible.
Governors across the US have begun easing restrictions – but Texas is one of the largest states to halt the mask mandate.
Like the rest of the country, Texas has seen the number of cases and deaths plunge. Hospitalizations are at the lowest levels since October, and the seven-day rolling average of positive tests has dropped to about 7,600 cases, down from more than 10,000 in mid-February.
Only California and New York have reported more Covid deaths than Texas.
“The fact that things are headed in the right direction doesn’t mean we have succeeded in eradicating the risk,” said Dr. Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor of integrative biology and director of the University of Texas Covid-19 Modeling Consortium.
She said the recent deadly winter freeze in Texas that left millions of people without power — forcing families to shelter closely with others who still had heat — could amplify transmission of the virus in the weeks ahead, although it remains too early to tell.
Masks, she said, are one of the most effective strategies to curb the spread.
Texas will also do away with limits on the number of diners that businesses can serve indoors[/caption]
Abbott imposed the statewide mask mandate in July during a deadly summer surge.
But enforcement was spotty at best, and some sheriffs refused to police the restrictions at all.
As the pandemic dragged on, Abbott ruled out a return to tough Covid-19 rules, arguing that lockdowns do not work.
Politically, the restrictions elevated tensions between Abbott and his own party, with the head of the Texas GOP at one point leading a protest outside the governor’s mansion.
Meanwhile, mayors in Texas’ biggest cities argued that Abbott wasn’t doing enough.
Most of the country has lived under mask mandates during the pandemic, with at least 37 states requiring face coverings to some degree.
But those orders are increasingly falling by the wayside.
Ahead of the repeal in Texas, Democratic lawmakers urged Abbott to reconsider.
“Texas will experience more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths,” state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, a Democrat from the border city of Laredo, told Abbott in a letter Monday.
After news broke over the weekend that a third vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, had been approved for emergency use, states began to speed up their reopening plans.
President Joe Biden has previously said he hopes 100 million people can receive vaccine shots during the first 100 days of his administration – a target that looks to be well exceeded.
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Buoyed by such figures, states like Montana and Iowa have also lifted their mask mandates, while Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said on Monday that restaurants would not longer have to follow capacity limits.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has also decided to do away with restrictions, starting from today.
He wrote of Twitter: “Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccine is being rapidly distributed. It is time!”
