LUBBOCK, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says it's "time to open Texas 100 percent" following COVID-19 closures that hindered small businesses across the state.
"Businesses don't need the state to tell them how to operate," Abbott said, speaking to members of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce at a local Mexican restaurant. He announced a new executive order that will lift many of the business capacity restrictions, as well as the statewide facial covering requirement, which will go into effect next Wednesday.
"With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus," Abbott said. "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."
Under the new order, businesses may still choose to limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.
Abbott said if COVID-19 hospitalizations in a given area rise above 15% for seven straight days, county judges will be able to use mitigation strategies in their county, such as face masks.
Local leaders have been resistant to the idea of lifting the restrictions. Austin/Travis County interim health authority Dr. Mark Escott, speaking Tuesday morning to a joint session of the Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court, said removing the mask requirements could result in a reversal of progress.
"I think right now we have to stay the course," Escott said. "We've vaccinated maybe 10% of our population."
Escott told officials that he felt May or June would be a more suitable timeframe to look at relaxing mask requirements, once "hundreds of thousands" of Texans have been vaccinated in March and April.
