Masks May Not Go Away Quickly, Despite Governors Announcement
Yesterday, Governor Abbott shocked a lot of people with his announcement that the mask mandate will be going away, and that businesses will be allowed to open up to 100 percent capacity. Of course, this is ultimately left in the hands of business owners going forward.
While the announcement had its cheerleaders, there were a lot of people not too happy with the big Texas Independence Day announcement.
Immediately, social media was full of businesses either celebrating the decision or stating that they will still be adhering to the guidelines. Several businesses in our area will continue operating at reduced capacity and requiring masks.
806 Coffee + Lounge put it bluntly. With the health of employees and customers in mind, they are continuing with the current guidelines.
They aren't alone.
As of right now, the simplest thing to do is keep a mask with you in case the business you are going to still requires them. If you do visit a store that requires them, just keep in mind that is is their choice to do so. Don't be a jerk about it.
Then there's the schools. I have 4 kids. The first thing I did yesterday was look to our school district to see what they were going to do with this information. According to a report that came out today, the TEA's guidance is to let the school boards decide.
Once again, I have a feeling I'll find myself in that now familiar place; wishing for consistency. In the meantime, it looks like I'll be keeping a mask with me.
LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.