Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not issue any mask mandate for students in the state as they are expected to be back in school late this summer. This is despite the sudden increase of COVID-19 cases in the area, and in the country.
Abbott said in a statement recently that the reason behind the non-imposition of a mask mandate is “obvious.” “There are so many people who have immunities to COVID, whether it be through the vaccination, whether it be through their own exposure and their recovery from it, which would be acquired immunity.”
The governor pointed out that requiring people, who already have immunity, to wear a mask will be “inappropriate.”
Abbott also noted during a news conference that there is a blanked resistance to new restrictions regarding COVID-19. He pointed out that Texas is already “past the time of government mandates” as he believes the state should be “into the time for personal responsibility.” The mask requirement in Texas was lifted in March and has not been re-imposed since.
“Kids will not be forced by government or by schools to wear masks in school. They can by parental choice wear a mask, but there will be no government mandate requiring masks,” Abbott said.
His remarks came after the sudden increase of COVID-19 in Texas and different parts of the United States. Last week, the positivity rate in Texas went over 10 percent, a first since February.
The increase is attributed to the Delta variant of the disease and the percentage of unvaccinated people. Only 43 percent of Texans are fully vaccinated.
The World Health Organization continues to encourage everyone to wear masks still even if already vaccinated.
