No Mask: Texas and Mississippi Plan to Lift COVID-19 Restrictions

By Joshua Summers First Posted: Mar 02, 2021 08:27 PM EST

"No mask Texas" and "no mask Mississippi" could happen soon as both state governors announce Tuesday their plan to ease the implementation of COVID-19 health mandates. The announcement was made a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned regarding the complacency amid SARS-CoV-2 mutations.

As NPR reported, Texas Governor Greg Abbott will start with the implementation of the new directives on March 10 (Wednesday), while the Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves gave his directives a shorter timeline.

Also read: A Man without Face Mask Asked to Leave a Store in Texas, He Turns Violent

Mask Mandate Lifting

Yahoo! News mentioned Governor Abbott announcing in Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant that the time has come to open their state 100 percent. He furthered that COVID-19 did not suddenly vanish and that state directive is no longer significant. Texas has a population of 29 million, making them the largest state to end a rule that is inclined to lessening the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the pandemic itself.

NBC News noted that shortly after Texas Governor Abbott announced their state's rollback of COVID-19 health mandates, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced in his Twitter account that he would be ending Mississippi's statewide mask mandate, Wednesday, March 3. Reeves added that the reason for lifting the mandate is because their hospitalization cases have plunged, and their vaccine is rapidly distributed.

NPR mentioned that both states have a decline in the average daily new cases of COVID-19. Texas has lessened 18 percent in the decline of new daily cases, while the death toll decreased by 13 percent over two weeks. On the other hand, Mississippi recorded a significant dip of 27 percent in their daily new cases and a decrease of 34 percent on the daily COVID-related deaths over about two weeks.

Aside from the revocation of the statewide mask, Fox News noted Governor Abbott's announcement that the state will be allowing all businesses in their vicinity to reopen fully. Abbott added that COVID-19 still exists in Texas; however, their data of recoveries, vaccinations, and the reduced hospitalization with the safe practices of Texans make the state mandates no longer needed. Abbott furthered that business establishments may limit their capacity and have additional safety protocols according to their free will, stressing that Texans must continue following the appropriate health guidance.

CDC on the Rollbacks

NBC News noted CDC Director Rochelle Walensky's worry saying that the public health practices they have mandated are designed to protect people from COVID-19. Walensky also pleaded the states to listen because at this level of cases with variants spreading, the ground the U.S. has claimed against the virus will be lost. Yahoo! News quoted President Joe Biden, saying that the fight against the virus is far from over and that the Americans are encouraged to keep washing their hands, stay socially distanced, and continue wearing their masks.

NPR shared that the State of Texas has inoculated 5.5 million doses of vaccine, with 6.5 percent of its population fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, Mississippi has administered 630,000 doses of vaccine to 7.6 percent of its populace.