Texas, Mississippi relax measures against COVID-19: mask use will no longer be mandatory

Texas is lifting its mandate to wear masks for COVID-19, Governor Greg Abbott said on Tuesday, becoming the largest US state to end an order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 42,000 Texans.

The Republican governor has faced stiff criticism from his party for the term, which was imposed eight months ago, and other COVID-19 restrictions. Although it has only been applied lightly, even during the worst outbreaks of the pandemic.

Texas will also remove limits on the number of customers that businesses can serve within.said Abbott, who made the announcement at a restaurant in Lubbock. He said that the new rules will take effect on March 10.

“Eliminating state warrants does not end personal responsibility,” Abbott said, speaking from a crowded dining room where many of those around him were not wearing masks. “It’s just that now state warrants are no longer necessary, ”he said.

For his part, Republican Tate Reeves, of Mississippi also announced Tuesday that the mandatory use of face masks would end and businesses would return to full capacity.

“This order, which I hope is my last decree on this issue, lifts the mandatory wearing of face masks and allows businesses to operate at their full capacity.”he said at a press conference.

The decisions come at a time when U.S. governors are easing restrictions on the coronavirus, despite warnings from health experts that the pandemic is far from over. These states have seen the number of cases and deaths drop. Hospitalizations are at their lowest level since October, and the seven-day average of positive tests has fallen to about 7,600 cases, from more than 10,000 in mid-February.

“Just because things are going in the right direction doesn’t mean that we have succeeded in eradicating the risks,” said Dr Lauren Ancel Meyers, professor of integrative biology and director of the University’s COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. from Texas.

He said that The recent deadly winter frost in Texas, which left millions of people without electricity – forcing families to take refuge closely with others who still had heat – could amplify the transmission of the virus in the weeks to come, even s ‘it is still too early to know. Masks, he said, are one of the most effective strategies for slowing the spread.

Abbott imposed a statewide requirement to wear masks in July, during the deadly summer wave. However, the application was spotty and some sheriffs refused to apply the restrictions. And as the pandemic dragged on, Abbott has ruled out reverting to strict COVID-19 rules, arguing that lockdowns are not working.

Politically, the restrictions increased tensions between Abbott and his own party, and the leader of the Texas Republican Party even led a protest outside the governor’s mansion. Meanwhile, mayors of Texas’ biggest cities have argued that Abbott is not doing enough.

Most of the country lived under masked mandates during the pandemic, with at least 37 states that require facial covering to some extent. But those orders are on the decline: North Dakota, Montana and Iowa have also lifted mask orders in recent weeks.

Before the repeal in Texas, Democratic lawmakers have urged Abbott to reconsider his decision.

“Texas will see more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths,” State Representative Richard Peña Raymond, a Democrat from the border town of Laredo, said in a letter to Abbott on Monday.

Laredo, whose population is predominantly Latin American, has suffered some of the worst outbreaks in the pandemic, running out of beds in hospital intensive care units as recently as January. The international trade hub has been one of the most aggressive cities in Texas in its attempt to curb the spread of the virus, taking measures including curfews.

“Chosen by the people, their most fundamental obligation is their health and safety. Please don’t give up on your duty, ”said Raymond.

By PAUL J. WEBER (Associated Press)

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