Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an order lifting a statewide mask mandate and allowing all businesses to reopen at 100% capacity starting next Wednesday. Abbott cited the state’s ongoing vaccination campaign and reduced hospitalizations and noted that individual regions where coronavirus hospitalizations surpass 15% of hospital capacity can reimpose certain restrictions (source).
More context: The decision comes amid a growing trend of state and local officials beginning to lift coronavirus-related restrictions, with lawmakers in Mississippi, Michigan, and several cities easing restrictions in recent days. Meanwhile, health officials have warned against reopening prematurely, citing the risk of a further outbreak.
The New Paper
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