Texas becomes biggest US state to lift COVID-19 mask mandate

The Republican governor has faced sharp criticism from his party over the mandate, which was imposed eight months ago, as well as other COVID-19 restrictions on businesses that Texas will also scuttle starting next week. The mask order was only ever lightly enforced, even during the worst outbreaks of the pandemic.

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The repealed rules include doing away with limits on the number of diners or customers allowed indoors, said Abbott, who made the announcement at a restaurant in Lubbock. He said the new rules would take effect March 10, although leaders in Houston and other big Texas cities were already reacting with alarm.

“Removing statewide mandates does not end personal responsibility,” said Abbott, speaking from the crowded dining room where many of those surrounding him were not wearing masks.

“It’s just that now state mandates are no longer needed,” he said.


https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/texas-biggest-us-state-lift-covid-19-mask-76208428

Announced on Texas independence day.

It's a good thing.

Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Syl wrote:Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Nah, it will be fine.

The other states that have lifted their mask mandates (there's at least 15 of them) are not faring any worse than anyone else.

Original Quill wrote:It's a good thing.

Maybe people from California will stop coming here.

Great news!

Maddog wrote:

Syl wrote:Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Nah, it will be fine.

The other states that have lifted their mask mandates (there's at least 15 of them) are not faring any worse than anyone else.

Well I hope you are right.
No one wants to see any more unnecessary deaths anywhere

Syl wrote:Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Exactly!  It hasn't escaped notice that Republicans have worked themselves into the position where what they are pulling for, results in an adverse effect for Republicans.  This was started by the Trump campaign to respond to the pandemic by denying it.  Masks, social distancing, lack of PPE, and anti-shutdowns became RW political causes.  Mostly, it was to avoid the political embarrassment that they knew would result from a lack of preparation by the Trump administration.

But they were only able to impose their inane political causes upon themselves.  Trump lost the election, so his inaction was no longer prevalent.  So, the adverse effects embraced by his followers were only visited upon themselves.  As the virus advanced, the Trump genocide became a genocide of Republicans.

Usually, if a political party wants to create adverse effects, they try to make it fall on the other side.  In this case, Governor Abbott is only hurting Texans, in a predominately conservative Texas.  I expect we will see the same result in Florida.  I regret any genocide, absolutely, but if it must fall make it fall upon those who deliberately call it down.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Exactly!  It hasn't escaped notice that Republicans have worked themselves into the position where what they are pulling for, results in an adverse effect for Republicans.  This was started by the Trump campaign to respond to the pandemic by denying it.  Masks, social distancing, lack of PPE, and anti-shutdowns became RW political causes.  Mostly, it was to avoid the political embarrassment that they knew would result from a lack of preparation by the Trump administration.

But they were only able to impose their inane political causes upon themselves.  Trump lost the election, so his inaction was no longer prevalent.  So, the adverse effects embraced by his followers were only visited upon themselves.  As the virus advanced, the Trump genocide became a genocide of Republicans.

Usually, if a political party wants to create adverse effects, they try to make it fall on the other side.  In this case, Governor Abbott is only hurting Texans, in a predominately conservative Texas.  I expect we will see the same result in Florida.  I regret any genocide, absolutely, but if it must fall make it fall upon those who deliberately call it down.

Is your daughter still in Southlake or has she bailed to more civilized environs?

Syl wrote:

Maddog wrote:

Nah, it will be fine.

The other states that have lifted their mask mandates (there's at least 15 of them) are not faring any worse than anyone else.

Well I hope you are right.
No one wants to see any more unnecessary deaths anywhere

I mean I'm right about the other places without masks. That's just a matter of statistics.

I guess Texans could be more susceptible to transmission than say folks from Iowa, but I doubt it.

Of course our stock has been watered down with the importation of a lot of whiney fuckers the past few years.

Maddog wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Exactly!  It hasn't escaped notice that Republicans have worked themselves into the position where what they are pulling for, results in an adverse effect for Republicans.  This was started by the Trump campaign to respond to the pandemic by denying it.  Masks, social distancing, lack of PPE, and anti-shutdowns became RW political causes.  Mostly, it was to avoid the political embarrassment that they knew would result from a lack of preparation by the Trump administration.

But they were only able to impose their inane political causes upon themselves.  Trump lost the election, so his inaction was no longer prevalent.  So, the adverse effects embraced by his followers were only visited upon themselves.  As the virus advanced, the Trump genocide became a genocide of Republicans.

Usually, if a political party wants to create adverse effects, they try to make it fall on the other side.  In this case, Governor Abbott is only hurting Texans, in a predominately conservative Texas.  I expect we will see the same result in Florida.  I regret any genocide, absolutely, but if it must fall make it fall upon those who deliberately call it down.

Is your daughter still in Southlake or has she bailed to more civilized environs?

She's still in Southlake, in a very expensive home that she can't just walk away from.  Unfortunately, she's made her choice.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:

Is your daughter still in Southlake or has she bailed to more civilized environs?

She's still in Southlake, in a very expensive home that she can't just walk away from.  She's made her choice.

She could sell it. I know realtors begging for new listings. Your daughter is in the hottest market in the US and could sell in a matter of days at a huge profit over what she paid.

Maddog wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

She's still in Southlake, in a very expensive home that she can't just walk away from.  She's made her choice.

She could sell it. I know realtors begging for new listings.  Your daughter is in the hottest market in the US and could sell in a matter of days at a huge profit over what she paid.  

Ty, I'll pass that along. But I fear it's too late to avoid this iteration of catastrophe.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:

She could sell it. I know realtors begging for new listings.  Your daughter is in the hottest market in the US and could sell in a matter of days at a huge profit over what she paid.  

Ty, I'll pass that along.  But I fear it's too late to avoid this iteration of catastrophe.

I'm sure she knows she is in the hottest market in the country.

Like all of the folks moving here, she likes it here, which is why she sticks around.

Well, she went where her husband went, moving up the ladder as he did.  Finally, he made the home office in Dallas...then, after a bit, retired. She's been there quite a while.

Original Quill wrote:Well, she went where her husband went, moving up the ladder as he did.  Finally, he made the home office in Dallas...then, after a bit, retired.  She's been there quite a while.

Are the Klan members you reckon?

I read that a few states in US are relaxing all restrictions and allowing all businesses to reopen as usual.


We should do that here in UK.

That will happen here by June21st if the gradual relaxation of restrictions goes to plan.
Starting with the schools reopening on Monday, the government have set out a plan that every 5 weeks thereafter the country will open up more and more.

Sounds sensible to me.

Tommy Monk wrote:


I read that a few states in US are relaxing all restrictions and allowing all businesses to reopen as usual.


We should do that here in UK.

There's been states that did that at least a month ago.

In Texas, we have been open with 75% capacity and masks for a few months. Now we will be at 100% with masking being discretionary.

Traffic on the roads here looks pretty much like pre lockdown levels.

Same here....God knows why when the majority of retail are still closed, schools are mostly shut and many people are still working from home.

Lots must be going back to work... Many will want to drive rather than use public transport... But I mentioned traffic to my mum earlier and she said she went past a local train station and loads of cars are parked along road nearby, just like pre lockdown... So looks like loads are actually using trains too...

Well, two months later and all of the dire predictions failed to materialize.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:Maybe the governer of Texas is aiming to have the most Covid deaths in the the US rather than coming in third?

Exactly!  It hasn't escaped notice that Republicans have worked themselves into the position where what they are pulling for, results in an adverse effect for Republicans.  This was started by the Trump campaign to respond to the pandemic by denying it.  Masks, social distancing, lack of PPE, and anti-shutdowns became RW political causes.  Mostly, it was to avoid the political embarrassment that they knew would result from a lack of preparation by the Trump administration.

But they were only able to impose their inane political causes upon themselves.  Trump lost the election, so his inaction was no longer prevalent.  So, the adverse effects embraced by his followers were only visited upon themselves.  As the virus advanced, the Trump genocide became a genocide of Republicans.

Usually, if a political party wants to create adverse effects, they try to make it fall on the other side.  In this case, Governor Abbott is only hurting Texans, in a predominately conservative Texas.  I expect we will see the same result in Florida.  I regret any genocide, absolutely, but if it must fall make it fall upon those who deliberately call it down.

Genocide eh?

What magnitude constitutes a genocide? I think loss of 580,000 American lives suffices.

Original Quill wrote:What magnitude constitutes a genocide?  I think loss of 580,000 American lives suffices.

Since the lifting of restrictions in Texas, what's happened?

A genocide?

Maddog wrote:

Original Quill wrote:What magnitude constitutes a genocide?  I think loss of 580,000 American lives suffices.

Since the lifting of restrictions in Texas, what's happened?

A genocide?

Of course not. The Democrats came to the rescue. Since January 20th, they have gotten things under control.

It was that cult, the Republicans, that let things get out of control.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:

Since the lifting of restrictions in Texas, what's happened?

A genocide?

Of course not.  The Democrats came to the rescue.  Since January 20th, they have gotten things under control.

It was that cult, the Republicans, that let things get out of control.

So why did Biden say there Neanderthals running Texas when the mandates were lifted here?

Why didn't California lift their mandates 2 months ago?

Maddog wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Of course not.  The Democrats came to the rescue.  Since January 20th, they have gotten things under control.

It was that cult, the Republicans, that let things get out of control.

So why did Biden say there Neanderthals running Texas when the mandates were lifted here?

Why didn't California lift their mandates 2 months ago?

California mandates are still on, thank god.

Biden said Neanderthals are running Texas because it's true...everyone knows that.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:

So why did Biden say there Neanderthals running Texas when the mandates were lifted here?

Why didn't California lift their mandates 2 months ago?

California mandates are still on, thank god.

Biden said Neanderthals are running Texas because it's true...everyone knows that.

So what has happened since we dropped the mandates..

Do you have the Indian strain of Covid in the US, if so is it causing any concerns?

Syl wrote:Do you have the Indian strain of Covid in the US, if so is it causing any concerns?

Not that I know of. We had all of the other strains and the vaccines handled them.

I know we had the South African variant, and one of my kids OBGYNs is in South Africa right now and will be delivering her baby in a few weeks.

Maddog wrote:

Syl wrote:Do you have the Indian strain of Covid in the US, if so is it causing any concerns?

Not that I know of. We had all of the other strains and the vaccines handled them.

I know we had the South African variant, and one of my kids OBGYNs is in South Africa right now and will be delivering her baby in a few weeks.

We have it and the cases have doubled rapidly...so far the vaccination programme seems to have controlled all the mutations, including the SA one.

There are plenty of cases of the Indian variant in the U.S., including in Texas.

Ben Reilly wrote:There are plenty of cases of the Indian variant in the U.S., including in Texas.

Well,doesn't seem to be rising our numbers..El Jeffe Jose has turned us loose maskless..

Well, we already were, but we had plenty of virtue signallers still wearing masks..

Actually we still do.

Maybe people just feel safer wearing the masks for a while longer.

Or maybe for some in will become a way of life, like it is in China.

Syl wrote:Maybe people just feel safer wearing the masks for a while longer.

Or maybe for some in will become a way of life, like it is in China.

Yeah, people with agoraphobia feel safer staying home.  I'm not sure that's a healthy fear.

I did notice a.pretty good change yesterday after a lot of large retailers said they would follow the advice of Jefe José and his merry band if CDCers.

Agoraphobia is a complex anxiety disorder, I don't think wanting to carry on wearing a facemask for a while is in the same league.

Syl wrote:Agoraphobia is a complex anxiety disorder,  I don't think wanting to carry on wearing a facemask for a while is in the same league.

Not yet.

I know a woman who was wearing a mask around town because she said gas wells miles from her house caused nose bleeds. She's sort of a local nut.

I don't know what "while" is, but pretty soon we will be talking about a disorder of some type.

There is no doubt, that this has messed some folks up and they are feeling a great deal of anxiety about dropping the mask and other guidelines.

Maddog wrote:

Syl wrote:Agoraphobia is a complex anxiety disorder,  I don't think wanting to carry on wearing a facemask for a while is in the same league.

Not yet.  

I know a woman who was wearing a mask around town because she said gas wells miles from her house caused nose bleeds. She's sort of a local nut.  

I don't know what "while" is, but pretty soon we will be talking about a disorder of some type.  

There is no doubt, that this has messed some folks up and they are feeling a great deal of anxiety about dropping  the mask and other guidelines.  

I agree that living like this for over a year must have had a serious effect on some people.
I hope the majority adapt to living a more 'normal' life easily.

But if some feel safer wearing the mask.....and it's still mandatory here anyway in enclosed spaces, I dont think that's a big problem.

For the record, Texas had zero deaths from the Rona yesterday.

Seems like the alarmists from a few months ago were wrong. .