Openin' up

Here we go. With COVID-19 vaccines more readily available as well as key metrics like hospitalizations and ICU usage down, some states are looking to get back to normal life.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday it's time to "open Texas 100%" and end the statewide mask order, citing declining hospitalizations across the state as more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Abbott issued a new executive order, which will take effect March 10 and rescind most of his earlier orders, including restrictions on business occupancy and the July 2 statewide mask order.

"To be clear, COVID has not suddenly disappeared," Abbott said, but adding "state mandates are no longer needed."

"Texas is in a far better position now than when I issued my last executive order back in October," Abbott said, referring to his edict allowing bars to reopen under certain circumstances. Cases spiked after he eased business restrictions in the fall.

Naturally the COVID woke scolds are saying about Gov. Abbott similar things said to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp last spring when he eased restrictions in his state, specifically how any COVID related deaths will be laid at his feet. Some hack at The Atlantic went so far as to say that Kemp's decision in April 2020 was an "experiment in human sacrifice." Ah, but the proverbial bodies piling up in the streets never happened. In fact, it's been the exact opposite in that Georgia had the lowest transmission rate as of late January. Not surprisingly, the state's economy has also been quick to recover. 

And what about Florida? Despite Gov. Ron DeSantis never really implementing any significant restrictions, his state has been one of the few success stories. This is extra impressive when you consider the state has one of the highest elderly populations (i.e. the segment most vulnerable to COVID-19) yet a far lower death rate and raw number of deaths than other larger popular states like New York.

While I am obviously hopeful that Texas ends up being a success story, I can't help but be concerned about some new variants of COVID that have been rearing their ugly heads. 

Shortly after Abbott spoke Tuesday, the Texas Hospital Association issued a statement urging Texans to continue wearing masks in public: "We know that it works. It protects health care workers and the people around you. More infectious variants are circulating in Texas, and millions more people need to be vaccinated. We should still be doing everything we can to protect each other."

I believe this should have been the tactic from the beginning in that elected officials should not be mandating anything (i.e. mask-wearing, businesses closing, etc.) but cede to the public health officials when it comes to recommending the most effective deterrents to spreading this virus. After almost an entire year of this pandemic in America, it's clear we're long overdue for a new tactic. 

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