Governor Greg Abbott today issued an Executive Order (GA-34) lifting the mask mandate in Texas and increasing capacity of all businesses and facilities in the state to 100 percent. The Governor made the announcement at Montelongo’s Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock in an address to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce.
“With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” said Governor Abbott. “We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 percent. Make no mistake, COVID-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations, and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed. Today’s announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year. Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal safety and the safety of others. With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny.”
During his remarks, the Governor discussed the incredible advancements that Texas has made that allow the state to open fully and lift the mask mandate—noting the rapid increase of vaccines. Nearly 5.7 million vaccine shots have been administered to Texans, and the state is now administering almost one million shots each week.
By next Wednesday, about 7 million shots will have been administered in Texas and over half of seniors in Texas will have received a vaccine shot. By the end of March, every senior who wants a vaccine should be able to get one. The vaccine supply continues to increase so rapidly that more and more Texans will soon be eligible to receive a vaccine.
The Governor noted that Texas has a surplus of personal protective equipment and can perform over 100,000 COVID-19 tests a day. The state has invested in a variety of anti-body therapeutic drugs that have kept thousands of Texans out of hospitals. Texans have also adopted daily habits that reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
More than 2.5 million Texans who were lab confirmed for COVID-19 have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic, and experts note the total number of Texans who have recovered from COVID-19 is likely 4-5 times that amount. The number of active COVID-19 cases is the lowest since November—meaning more Texans are recovering from COVID-19 than contracting it.
This executive order rescinds most of the Governor’s earlier executive orders related to COVID-19. Effective next Wednesday, all businesses of any type may open to 100% capacity. Additionally, this order ends the statewide mask mandate in Texas. Businesses may still limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.
If COVID-19 hospitalizations in any of the 22 hospital regions in Texas get above 15% of the hospital bed capacity in that region for seven straight days, a County Judge in that region may use COVID-19 mitigation strategies. However, County Judges may not impose jail time for not following COVID-19 orders nor may any penalties be imposed for failing to wear a face mask. If restrictions are imposed at a County level, those restrictions may not include reducing capacity to less than 50% for any type of entity. View the Governor’s executive order.
Just one more reason that this moron has to go. Look around, we’re nowhere near safe. And yet thousands upon thousands of idiots spouting MUH FREEDUMB prolonging this because they resist personal responsibility within society. And he enables this mindset and behavior. How many more thousands of deaths will he and they be responsible for causing…Yet another reason why other states laugh at Texas.
Bob Bob Bob, calm down and think really hard about what this really is and not what some of these ignorant political figures have chalked it up to be. It’s no more dangerous than the damn flu that everyone has dealt with their entire life, yet everyone in this day and age takes everything to an extreme level of stupidity. It’s a wonder humanity has made it as far they have…
FLU?
I personally know at least 5 people who have lost a loved one to this virus. I have a niece who is an OR nurse in NY who has seen horror upon horror from this virus for a year now. Watched people die, holding their hand because their family can’t be there. Where the F do you come off spouting such ignorant crap? Oh, I forgot…Texas conservative I’ll bet. One or the other. Your statement is incorrect, ignorant, and insulting. But I’d expect nothing less. Do better.
This Governor continues to show the entire nation and more that he doesn’t care what science and common sense tells us. Other states laughing at texas has become a weekly sit-com. Get ready Hospitals. Abbott must go
Two butthurt Democrats crying about science so far. How many more?
Yeah, Abbott must go because he ordered these silly mandates. The two weaklings above are going to do great under Communist China rule.
Butthurt? Nice try! We’ve got the entire government and are going to undo all the damage Trump & the terrorist party has done. Calling out ineptitude in an elected official is hardly butthurt. Not to mention the outright lie of Texans having ‘mastered the skills’, which is laughable. If they had mastered anything but yelling “MUH LIBBERTY” and done the right thing, the pandemic might be over now. The death toll proves that, there’s the science. It’s not Democrat/Republican, it’s common sense, which I have found since moving here that Texans severely lack. These comments from Proud Texans ™ prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. At least there will be fewer brain dead Texans once the next death surge passes through. Then maybe we can get this place a little closer to humanity.
Oh Bob, perhaps you should pick your things up and move back to where you come from.
Those two responses doesn’t surprise me at all, your attitude is why this state will continue to lose against the pandemic. You are the virus and much more . Stay in your CAVE.
Good ole boy daddy John I guess he intended to say buttheads maybe but with that political statement I realize he has no education or common sense at all. BYE
Normal, it’s the new eccentric.
Bob and Wayne. Why do Americans have to wear mask and the illegal invaders, which y’all love but do not want them living next to you, not have to wear mask and are let in to the country Covid positive? A liberals answer should be funny.
No reply. Figures.
Some of us don’t live for sh8tposting on comment sections, some of us have lives. The question is, why do you call them invaders and not fellow human beings? That’s the problem right there. If you can’t “other” someone you have no self-worth, you need a false sense of superiority. Your comment contains enough misinformation as to be not worthy of even trying to answer. Human beings should have to wear masks & do social distancing, you know, common sense, until this thing is under control. It ain’t. And this moronic move by Governor Freeze is likely to continue the surge, all because he wants people to forget he let Texans freeze to death. But, y’know, FREEDUMB.