Texas Gov. Abbott Drops Mask Mandate, Allows Businesses to Fully Open
Abbott ended the mandate because hospitalizations have gone down due to COVID-19 vaccinations.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he ended the state’s mask mandate with an executive order and opened businesses to 100% capacity.
Leftists began their freakout even though private businesses can keep their mask requirements. I’m sure local governments will hold their own as well.
Abbott ended the mandate because hospitalizations have gone down due to COVID-19 vaccinations.
From The Austin American-Statesman:
Gov. Greg Abbott said it’s time to “open Texas 100%” and end the statewide mask order Tuesday, citing declining hospitalizations across the state as more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Abbott will issue a new executive order, which will take effect Wednesday and rescind most of his earlier orders, including restrictions on business occupancy and the statewide mask order.
“Texas is in a far better position now than when I issued my last executive order back in October,” Abbott said, adding that businesses can still limit their capacity or implement additional safety measures if they choose to do so. “It is their business, and they get to choose to operate their business the way they want to. At this time, however, people and businesses don’t need the state telling them how to operate.
Abbott urged…wait for it…personal responsibility!
“Removing state mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Abbott. “Personal vigilance to follow the safe standards is still needed to contain COVID. It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed.”
The Houston Chronicle reported that “region hospitalizations ere at 9.35 percent.” Tuesday is also “the first day that none of the state’s 22 hospital regions were above 15 percent.”
“Statewide, nearly 3.5 million Texans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” wrote Jay Jordan at The Houston Chronicle.
NEW: Issuing an executive order to lift the mask mandate and open Texas to 100 percent. pic.twitter.com/P4UywmWeuN
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) March 2, 2021
With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny.
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) March 2, 2021
I just announced Texas is OPEN 100%.
EVERYTHING.
I also ended the statewide mask mandate.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 2, 2021
Today Texas will report a new one day record for the number of people receiving vaccines—more than 216,000.
We are now providing more than 1 million Vaccines a week.
This is a big reason why hospitalizations are at the lowest level in four months.
Always voluntary.#txlege
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 2, 2021
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Comments
Never should have made one in the first place.
This is humiliating to the snowflake states. Good.
About nine months late, but ok.
Personally I intend to burn enough face diapers in a bonfire that it will trigger actual global warming.
ICYMI – Texas ended the Mandate on TEXAS INDEPENCE DAY.
INDEPENDENCE
He made the announcement on Texas Independence Day; lifting the ban doesn’t happen until March 10. I still haven’t found out why he couldn’t make it effective at the time of announcement, as Mississippi did.
I think because the Governors just let mandates expire rather than countermand their own orders. But, it does seem silly.
Maybe he figures we need time to psychologically prepare for naked faces. But probably because he’s an idiot.
Did another tree limb fall on him and scrambled his brain housing group or is his just another rino.
I was visting Texas three weeks ago. Drove backroads from Houston to Galveston. No one is wearing masks outside the big cities. Visited a cute bar/store named Dorothy’s Cowboy Country Corner in Midfield Texas and neither the store employees nor the customers were wearing masks. It was so great to see!
That is true with most big cities,
In texas people in cities act like you should shot for not wearing a mask.
Out in the country, people look as if you should be shot if you are wearing a mask.
I live outside Dallas and have never had anyone say anything to me not wearing a mask. I have seen a handful of people lately at various places and never saw anyone say anything to them. But I didn’t follow them around like a creep.
I see too many people walking by themselves outside wearing a mask. Absolutely insane.
Good riddance to this useless thing.
Col Travis comment – “I live outside Dallas and have never had anyone say anything to me not wearing a mask”
I rarely wear a mask and have someone say something to me most everyday for not wearing a mask! though mostly its someone congratulating me for NOT wearing on.
Dang, never had that!
I live in Austin – and have been deeling with COVID restrictions, but somehow I never got the word that there was a mask mandate. I never wear one outdoors (and I have been yelled at, because of it, but I’m not the only one). I will wear a mask inside of Starbucks to pick up my coffee – but I figure it is their business to set their own policies. I may not (and do not) like it, but I treat them with respect.
It used to be my “office”. I would like to get back to that sooner rather than later.
South Austin. Bank of America manager on South Congress called the police on me. I stood my ground until they came and told me I would be arrested for Criminal Trespass if I even tried to go in there again. I pulled all my money from Bank of America forever. Spectrum store on West 5th called the police on me for not wearing a mask when I returned their equipment after cutting the cord. Great Clips manager in Westgate threw me out and cussed me out for not wearing a mask before their corporate mandate even began. I went to South Dakota to get a haircut – No hassles and a better cut than I ever got in Austin. Those are just for starters. I have been harassed by many random SJW morons who think they became my boss when Adler pulled his power play. He will never get my vote after creating this dystopia in Austin. How many years before we can go into an HEB, Randall’s or Sam’s without this infringement on individual freedom?
I meant Abbott, not Adler. However, Adler is far worse than Abbott. Neither one of them are worthy of a vote. Adler is the Austin mayor who gained fame for locking down Austin while enjoying vacation time in Cabo San Lucas. What did we do to deserve these chumps?
Here in Louisiana, we have the statute to wear them while in businesses. And even then, mask wearing in businesses is mostly ineffective. I’m seeing more and more people not wear them.
New Orleans THREATENS fines if you don’t wear a mask outside. Never have the NOPD issued any citations regarding that since it started. And now, I see on average 30 people a day just walking in to work not wearing a mask at all, or not wearing them properly. I don’t even count the people who smoke or eating or drinking something.
I’m in rural northern LA. I see them in schools, at walmart entrance doors, and on the occasionally older person. It is a really small percentage of people wearing a mask.
Crap – Abbott is going to kill all the grandma’s and grandpa’s
We need real leadership like Coumo – who was heralded for putting the fire out – after the building was burned to the ground
We call that saving the basement.
Is that dry austere sarcasm on the Internet or are you being serious. I, even with an intact sense of humor, can never tell for sure these days…
This has to happen everywhere.
About time. Most people around here still wear masks everywhere – but that’s fine if it’s their own choice.
CNN will be full of shit this evening. Would be fun to watch but I don’t care for puking.
Pampers has created a new Hajib for those with shit for brains
The NPR crew had their hair on fire this afternoon
Joe “The United” Biden called it “Neanderthal thinking”. Hes so much nicer than PDJT! (/sarc)
Mark my words – there will be a covid surge in Texas starting early June that will last through the end of July. That is going to happen regardless as to whether the mask mandate stays in place or if Texas goes full Monty.
How can I predict this with confidence – Its Simple. Covid has been following the Hopes-Simpson curve to a Tee. Edgar Hopes – Simpson documented the influenza virus infection curves back in the 1980’s.
Texas along with LA, MS, AL FL GA and SC will have similar surges while the northern states, and all of Europe will near zero covid infections in the summer.
In summary A) it follows well documented history and
B) mother nature is more powerful than man (including Mann)
No more jaw bras, y’all.
(DeSantis frantically looking for someone to hold his beer…)
Iowa got rid of mask mandates weeks ago… oh BTW, cases still went down.
If only de Santis would force Florida’s counties to drop their mandates.
If only the people would force their counties to drop their mandates.
The lawsuits to do so aren’t going anywhere.
Yes, well, if the people rely upon judicial intervention maybe something will happen in five years or so.
The courts try not to resolve issues, but to have the parties in dispute settle their differences or allow the issue to otherwise become moot, so if possible, most will rope-a-dope an issue, especially a hot button issue, to delay, delay, delay, for this end.
For political issues, this is how it should be. We really do not want to be ruled by judges, do we?
If the people wish to retain their freedom, they are the primary guarantors. What they give away or fail to protect will be taken.
Newsom is NOT pleased!
https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1366857873444245504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1366857873444245504%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Face.mu.nu%2F
LMAO!
Newsom – aside from being a corrupt sociopath – is a jerk.
This will only serve to outrage Californians, who will support the recall (hollywood idiots aside).
Something tells me 95% of the businesses in Austin will still require them. I’m in the district with the only R representative on city council, so maybe things won’t be so bad in my area.
Ignore them.
That could get interesting. The store can require its patrons to wear the mask, but there will be no law enforcement against people refusing to do so. I dunno, maybe the store can have the person removed from the premises…and maybe that person can then charge “discrimination.” If the store then refuses to serve the patron, what happens when the patron says “bake the cake, hater”? Yeah, this could get interesting.
“Leave or get charged with trespassing” will be a thing. Despite masks being useless, I expect they’ll be required forever at hospitals and doctor’s offices.
It may well be a “per state” thing, legally, but in Austin Texas, it is not uncommon to see a “No socks, no shoes, no shirt, no service” sign on the door – so I’m guessing “No mask” would be enforceable. It’s private property, so I believe that anyone should be able to refuse service to anyone at any time, but clearly, the courts don’t agree with me completely, but they do still seem to give wide latitude to private property owners. (And – I’m weird – I’d rather shut a business than let any person try to make me a slave (although I would probably make a cake for a gay couple, that’s my choice, not the governmentt’s!)
“I’m in the district with the only R representative on city council”
And on that note…
Our Building (Dallas TX ) just sent notice to the Tenants that Masks will continue to be rquired.
Even for those that have been vaccinated – Since those vaccinated could infect someone with a virus they DONT have.
Huh? Why bother with the vaccine if it doesn’t protect you?
And viruses have been floating around forever, nothing is going to completely irradicate them.
Abbott is making his decision to go wide open based on hospitalization rates of 9.35%. In Michigan, Comrade Governor Whitmer has extended house arrest for all peasants again.
Want to guess what hospitalization rates in Michigan are? Okay, I’ll tell you – 5.41% as of March 1. That’s 882 people in hospital testing positive with Covid (not necessarily because of Covid) out of 16,295 beds. And remember, Michigan has over ten million residents.
Positive tests on a trailing average daily rates are 10% of what they were in November when the current mandates went up. People dying WITH Covid are a handful a day (most statistical deaths – 70% to 80% – are people who recovered and died of other causes within 30 days).
Whitmer should do the right thing and free her people now.
“Whitmer should do the right thing…”
Laugh of the day 🙂 Good one Dan!
The people of Michigan should do the right thing.