Yes, it's true. Governor Abbott (along with the Governor of Mississippi) has earned the title "Worst Public Health Decision Maker Still Holding Office in the U.S." with this announcement. The full text of Executive Order GA-34 is here.
Gov. Abbott offered remarks on his remarkable EO in Lubbock. Here is an annotated paragraph:
"With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” said Governor Abbott.
You bet we have the tools. We simply have to use them.
"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."
Wow, that's a whopper. To borrow a line from Justice Ginsburg's dissent in Shelby County, in which the majority held that the Voting Rights Act's preclearance mechanism was no longer needed: "Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet." [Opinion, p. 33]
"Today's announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year."
Another whopper. Texans haven't mastered safe practices and now we've been given a green light to abandon them altogether.
"Effective next Wednesday [Mar. 10], all businesses of any type may open to 100% capacity." "This order ends the statewide mask mandate in Texas."
Abbott helpfully notes that anyone who wants to can wear a mask and businesses can self-limit their own capacity. That's the kind of right-thinking Texas policy that gave us ERCOT and the disaster of two weeks ago. We are going our own way and celebrating Texas independence. Wonderful spirit, but lots of people died. And lots of people are going to die of COVID-19 unnecessarily because of today's order.
Stephen Love, the President/CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council had this to say:
"While we respect Governor Greg Abbott and realize he has faced enormous challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and recent weather issues, we strongly disagree with removing the mandatory mask requirements. This decision will cause the community spread to increase, forcing our exhausted healthcare heroes to diagnose, treat and save the lives of newly infected patients. If the community spread increases, the risk of mutations will also increase, creating a new set of potentially dangerous challenges. If you truly want to honor our healthcare heroes, then continue to wear a mask! We ask Governor Abbott to please reconsider his decision."
Back to the governor:
"Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal safety and the safety of others."
Agreed. What the Executive Order ignores is that the state has a role to play, as well. And the governor has just abandoned that responsibility.
"With this executive order, we are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas have the freedom to determine their own destiny."
And the destiny of all others -- family, workers, strangers -- with whom they come into contact. Gulp.
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