States drop COVID-19 mask mandates but still expect people to mask up - will they?
Murray J. Côté, Texas A&M University
March 7, 2021
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(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Murray J. Côté, Texas A&M University; Tiffany A. Radcliff, Texas A&M University, and Walter Thomas Casey II, Texas A&M University-Texarkana
(THE CONVERSATION) The governors of Texas and Mississippi announced that they were rescinding their statewide mask mandates and allowing restaurants and other businesses to return to 100% capacity in early March. The moves come while new infection numbers in the U.S. are still higher than they were in September and just ahead of school spring breaks, known for large gatherings and crowded bars where the coronavirus can quickly spread.
Have recent events dented your Texas pride? If so, you re not alone.
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Texas has taken a beating on social media after the power grid failure, water fiasco and rescinding of the mask mandate.Vernon Bryant, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS / Staff PhotographerShow MoreShow Less
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Walt Handelsman’s editorial cartoon for the New Orleans Times Picayune.Walt HandelsmanShow MoreShow Less
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Some Texans will still show their pride no matter what the rest of the country thinks.Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott delivers an announcement, broadcasted on the TV in the background, as a crowd watches him make it at Montelongo s Mexican Restaurant on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Lubbock, Texas. Governor Abbott announced that he is rescinding executive orders that limit capacities for businesses and the statewide mask mandate. (Justin Rex/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal via AP)Justin Rex, MBR / Associated Pre
GOP governors scorn pandemic restrictions as they compete for primacy in a pro-Trump party
Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Washington Post
March 5, 2021
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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: Texas Governor Greg Abbott participates in a news briefing outside the West Wing after an Oval Office announcement with President Trump March 24, 2017 at the White House in Washington, DC. Charter Communications announced that the company is opening a call center in McAllen, Texas, creating 600 jobs. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)Alex Wong/Getty Images
The decision this week by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to end his state s mask mandate and lift all restrictions on business reflects a broader move by politically ambitious Republican governors to channel the rising anger of conservative constituents over government efforts to curb the coronavirus.
San Antonio City Council names panel to oversee workforce development program, but concerns remain
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Peter John HoltCourtesy, Courtesy / courtesy
A key part of the oversight system that will take charge of San Antonio’s four-year, $154 million workforce development plan has been settled mostly.
By a 10-1 vote Thursday, the City Council named a nine-member panel to guide the Ready to Work program approved by voters in November and advise Mayor Ron Nirenberg and council members on vital matters when it comes to helping some 40,000 residents enroll in job training and college degree programs.
The panel will weigh in on what skills are in demand from employers, how the city should determine the number of slots for training certificates and college degrees and how to support participants outside the classroom. City Council will have the final say.
Gov. Greg Abbott lifts statewide mask order, opens Texas 100 percent
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Jay Janner, MBR / Associated Press
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday he is lifting the state’s coronavirus restrictions, as vaccinations rise and severe infections from the pandemic decline.
“Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills,” he said, sounding
celebratory. “This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100 percent.”
The rollback will begin next Wednesday, with businesses across the state able to open at full capacity. Abbott’s statewide mask mandate is also being lifted. Both measures quickly drew concerns from the public health community.