By: Kaia Patterson
Texas lost in the void of right-wing politics
“We’re seeing politics and science literally crashing.” Morgan State University Professor Timothy Atkers’ comment came in light of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s lift of a statewide mask mandate on March 2, 2021. Ignoring multiple pleas from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Abbott stated that “with the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus. We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas one-hundred percent.” Ignoring warnings of an upcoming surge, Texas has become one of twenty-four states to lift a presidentially encouraged mask mandate. Texas conservatives have long advocated for this lift and direct blame for the economic and public health crisis to Democrats. With an unemployment rate of 6.9%, three times as high as that of March 2020, COVID-19 has driven Texas’ economy into recession. This economic hardship coupled with Texas conservatives’ general lack of faith in the virus accounts for Abbott’s laissez-faire attitude toward the virus. Susan Wiles, a long-time Trump supporter, expressed the view of many fellow conservatives. “Sure, there’s a virus,” she admitted, “But people die of the flu every year. I don’t fall for this.” In many ways, this ignorance reflects a new American struggle: one between personal liberty and public health. Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to lift the mask mandate under the guise of personal liberties downplays the dangers of COVID-19 and prioritizes short-term economic success over public safety.
Proponents of Abbott’s decision point to Texas’ decreasing COVID-19 cases following the mask mandate. One month after lifting Texas’ mask mandate, Texas’ average number of COVID-19 cases per day continues to decrease. According to the state, the mask mandate lift began with a seven-day average of 3,020 cases per day. On April 1, Texas reported an average of 2,163 cases per day. When asked the reason behind this statistical decline, leading epidemiologist and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that there could be multiple causes: “There are a lot of things that go into case numbers decreasing,” he said. “It could be they’re doing things outdoors. It’s very difficult to one-on-one compare that. You just have to see in the long range.” Dr. Luis Ostrosky continues to remain cautious. In a recent statement, Ostrosky argued that “I think we could’ve been even lower at this point in time. The fact that we’re sort of stable is not necessarily good news – because we’re stable at a very high level. It’s like everybody saying you’re at a stable cruising speed – but at 100 miles per hour.” Regardless of Abbott’s dubious claims of “herd immunity,” statistics show only 20.1% of Texans are fully vaccinated. This is nowhere near the 70% required for an official declaration of herd immunity. Abbott not only fails to explain how the safety of unvaccinated Texans will be secured, but he also lacks justification for the rate of COVID-19 cases in his state.
Despite the expected economic benefits of lifting the mask mandate, many private businesses now operate in unsafe conditions. Marilyn Reece, a lead bakery clerk in Texas, has expressed anxiety when seeing customers come inside without a mask. Unable to receive the vaccine due to allergies, Reece believes that the mask mandate lift has given “a great false sense of security. And it’s no different now than it was a year ago. The only difference we have now is people are getting vaccinated, but enough people haven’t gotten vaccinated that they should have lifted the mandate.” Requiring masks for all customers, Wayne LaCombe, owner of Legends Diner, admitted to receiving a number of vicious death threats. “It’s a tough situation to be in,” he explained, “but we have to stand our ground.” Around the nation, small business owners have echoed similar worries. After hearing of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s decision to lift the statewide mask mandate, restaurant owner Jack Sundell remains uneasy. With a lack of vaccinated staff, he fears for his employees: “it’s difficult already to keep people from misbehaving when it regards mask use even when there is a mask mandate.” He continued, “when the governor just hinted at the idea that the mask mandate would be lifted, we had a patron come that very night and tell us he didn’t have to wear a mask anymore.” In attempting to stimulate Texas’ failing economy, Abbott’s lifting of the mask mandate has become somewhat counterproductive; it fails to take into account private companies and their desires to keep customers and workers safe.
With an COVID-19 case rate that has just begun to fall, the possibilities of an upcoming surge persist. Considered 30 to 50% more contagious than the original virus, strands detected in Brazil, Britain, and South Africa have now been identified as the United States’ dominant strands. In order to contain these strands, compliance with CDC guidelines is essential. As long as Abbott and other conservative politicians continue to ignore this crisis, returning to normalcy will be difficult, and the economy will continue to suffer. By lifting the mask mandate and ignoring CDC guidance, Governor Greg Abbott has exposed the citizens of his state to a great danger; he has betrayed the moral obligation invested in him as Texas’ leader and chief executive.
Governor Greg Abbott issues Executive Order (GA-34) at
Montelongo’s Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock, Texas.
