Health & Fitness
Gov. Abbott: No upcoming mask mandates in Texas
Last week, Texas Gov. Abbott said on X that Texas will not impose mask mandates despite rising number of new Covid-19 cases in Texas
Austin – In a rapidly worsening COVID-19 environment, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Thursday via social media platform X—formerly known as Twitter—that the state will not allow the enforcement of mask mandates, Metro Dallas News reported.
The Governor's firm stance has elicited a mixed bag of responses, ranging from strong approval to cautious skepticism.
The announcement comes at a time when various organizations and schools across the U.S. are reinstating mask protocols to curb the spread of a summer surge in cases. Just last week, entertainment giant Lionsgate and healthcare leader Kaiser Permanente reintroduced selective mask rules for their employees, as highlighted in a recent article by The Hill, which Governor Abbott retweeted.
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Similarly, educational establishments like Rutgers University in New Jersey and Morris Brown College in Georgia have temporarily re-imposed two-week mask mandates as a safety measure.
“Thank you, Gov. Greg Abbott sir, this affirms our decision to flee Seattle last year for the great state of Texas,” X user @donweidner commented on Abbott’s post.
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However, not all X users were as enthusiastic about Abbott’s blanket statement on banning mask mandates.
“You already have two schools that had to shut down because of a COVID outbreak,” @soapmaker10 chimed in. “Should be a great school year.”
Recent data from Metro Health shows a 142% increase in COVID-19 cases in Bexar County since June 27. However, in that same timeframe, San Antonio has reported only six new COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
In an interview earlier this week, Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious diseases expert at University Health, explained that the risk of severe infection remains relatively low. He attributes this decreased risk to some level of immunity within the community, gained either through vaccination efforts, previous exposures to the virus, or a combination of both.
Dr. Bowling did caution that certain groups, such as those who are immunocompromised or over the age of 65, should carefully consider whether or not to wear masks in public spaces.
Credit: Metro Dallas News, SA Current
