Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed on Tuesday that the biggest state is lifting its mask mandate. That move no longer requires one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of the pathogen, India Today reports.
After eight months of a mask regime, Governor Abbott said that the face masks are no longer required. Despite the top Texas official has faced criticism from his party, a decision to lift the COVID-19 mask mandate is final.
In Texas, the coronavirus has killed more than 43,000 people, and the federal health officials this week urgently warned states to not let their guard down, warning that the epidemic is far from over.
With lifting the mask mandate, a business occupancy limits that Texas will also scuttle next week. The mask order was only ever lightly enforced, even during the worst outbreaks of the pandemic.
“Removing statewide mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Abbott, speaking from the crowded dining room of a restaurant in Lubbock, surrounded by several people not wearing masks.
The repeals take effect on March 10.
Abbott joins a growing number of governors across the United States who are easing COVID-19 restrictions. However, the fact that things are headed in the right direction doesn’t mean a medicine has succeeded in eradicating the risk, the medical experts warned.
“I appreciate Governor Abbott’s desire to return to normalcy, but I remain concerned that, at least in Hidalgo County, we may be moving too quickly,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said.
