Statewide COVID mask mandate ends
All told, Abbott’s decision changes little in practice
Texas COVID-19 restrictions end Wednesday, including the statewide mask mandate and limits on business occupancy.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that he would “open Texas 100 percent,” rescinding his earlier executive orders intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. That means there will no longer be any operating limits for businesses or other establishments, and local governments and law enforcement officers cannot force a person to wear a mask in public.
The changes come with a few caveats: Abbott, alongside a host of other state leaders, are still “strongly encouraging” members of the public to wear masks and practice social distancing.
The Republican governor said now is the time to loosen restrictions as vaccinations ramp up rapidly and COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined from their mid-january peak.
“COVID-19 has not suddenly disappeared,” Abbott spokeswoman
Renae Eze said last week. “Removing state mandates does not end personal responsibility or the importance of caring for family members, friends and your community.”
Businesses may choose to continue enforcing occupancy restrictions or require patrons to wear face coverings — and many across the state have said they will do so. It’s a similar situation for school districts.
“While statewide policy has changed, our store protocol has not,” H-E-B, the beloved San Antonio-based grocer, said in a statement this week. “Mask use at our
stores will remain. Our signs requiring mask use will remain posted at entrances and we will continue to make announcements instore. We will continue to expect shoppers to wear masks while in our stores.”
All told, not much is changing in practice. The mask order was loosely enforced in the first place, and many businesses were open at 75 percent occupancy.
Still, health experts fear that repealing the order could give Texans an impetus to ditch masks, and local officials have voiced concerns that lifting the mandate will lead to more instore confrontations.
“I can assure you that we’re going to start seeing our calls for service and conflict go up — conflict that could have been avoided simply by continuing to follow the science and being patient,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a Tuesday interview with New Day. “We’re almost to the finish line, and I think this is a step in the wrong direction.”
Another caveat to the governor’s order: County officials can decide to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions if hospitalizations surge. By state definition, that’s when COVID-19 hospitalizations make up 15 percent or more of a hospital’s total capacity for at least seven days.
In that case, local officials can implement some safety precautions, including business capacity limits, as long as establishments are allowed to operate at 50 percent or more of their maximum occupancy. Those limits cannot be applied to religious services, schools, colleges and universities, and child care services, per Abbott’s order
The local officials could also choose to require masks in areas with high levels of hospitalizations, but they are not permitted to impose any penalties for failing to wear one. Abbott has said that no one in Texas should face jail time for violating a Covid-related restriction.
The governor’s move to lift the COVID-19 orders has been met with severe backlash from local officials, and one city is already bucking the decision.
The city of Austin said on Tuesday that it will defy Abbott’s new rules by continuing to enforce its local mask mandate, with fines of up to $2,000 for individuals who refuse to wear a face covering, or for businesses that decline to enforce the rule.
“The governor said that virus related policy would be guided by the data and the doctors, and we remain committed to this end,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a news release. “So, #MASKUPATX.”
Texas reported 167 deaths due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. About 4,700 people are currently hospitalized.
In total, the state has confirmed more than 2.3 million virus cases, and nearly 45,000 Texans have died. More than 2.4 million have been fully vaccinated, and 4.5 million residents have received at least one dose.