On Wednesday, March 10, Texas governor Greg Abbott ended the states’ mask mandate and allowed all businesses to operate at 100%. The  decision that has been very controversial among all Americans, something that President Joe Biden called “neanderthal thinking”. As of March 10, 17 states and territories in the U.S. have removed their mask mandates. 

States in blue are ones without a mask mandate.

“With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” said Governor Abbott from a restaurant in Lubbock. “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.”

With the vaccine, we are one step closer to normalcy. However, with that in mind, the finish line is not reached yet, and a risk of a surge in cases still lingers.  Texas cannot afford to go back to square one.  An article published by the New York Times claims that only 9% of Texans are fully vaccinated. Those numbers are not big enough to avoid another surge.

In the past year, we have embraced and normalized the usage of masks. With the pandemic still ongoing, they symbolize responsibility, safety, and sensitivity for others and yourself. And for however much longer the pandemic may be, please continue to wear your masks.