Governor Abbott's decision to end mask mandate means that Texas will now become largest state to end an order which was passed to curb COVID spread.
In a surprising decision, Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday (March 2) announced that Texas is lifting its mask mandate. Abbott's decision means that Texas will now become the largest state to end an order which was passed to curb the spread of COVID-19. It is to be noted that coronavirus has claimed over 42,000 lives in Texas.
The Republican governor had imposed the mandate eight months ago.
“Removing statewide mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Abbott, speaking from a room where majority of the people were not wearing masks.
“It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed,” added Abbott.
Abbott took the decision at a time when governors across the US are taking decisions aimed at easing coronavirus restrictions. The governors are lifting the restrictions despite warnings from health experts that the threat of pandemic is still far from over. Notably, the number of cases has falled in Texas in the last one month.
“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, was quoted as saying by AP.
According to Meyers, the recent cold weather in Texas that left millions of people in the state without power and water could lead to spread of the deadly disease. She however asserted that it is still early to tell and added that masks are still one of the most effective strategies to check the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mask mandate was imposed across Texas by Abbott in July when coronavirus outbreak was at its peak.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers had urged Abbott to reconsider his decision before the repeal.
“Texas will experience more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths,” state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, a Democrat from Laredo, told Abbott in a letter Monday.
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