Today, Governor Abbott said, ‘It is now time to open Texas 100%.’ Then, he effectively reversed all pandemic orders, including the mask mandate.
Now, the question is this. Are Texans ready to stop drinking the Kool-Aid?
The past year has been a trying one, to say the least. Our economy is steadily tanking as businesses are forced to operate at a lower capacity, or not at all. I don’t even want to count the number of mom and pop shops that are no more.
Finally, the Governor authorized us to put our lives back together again.
As NBC reports:
“It is now time to open Texas 100 percent,” Abbott said Tuesday afternoon at Montelongo’s Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock.
“Covid has not suddenly disappeared,” he said, “but state mandates are no longer needed.”
Abbott said his new executive order would rescind “most” of his prior Covid-19 executive orders, and that all businesses would be allowed to open “100 percent,” effective March 10.
Abbott Points to Advancements
When quarantine first started, I had a great deal of trouble understanding why these massive lockdowns were necessary. However, my mother works in the public transit industry, and she explained the reasoning.
It was never that we all needed to be shielded from this “terrible” virus. We’re exposed to tons of viruses every day. But this was something new, something our fragile citizens wouldn’t handle well. And the best way to protect them was to shut down long enough to gear-up.
By gear up, I mean hospitals needed more beds, more equipment, more supplies. We needed to change the way we provide services for the elderly and disabled, such as curbside pick-ups and social distancing. But from the very beginning, those in charge understood one thing clearly. Most people who contract covid will recover without incident.
Thus, today Abbott points to the fact that we have achieved the gear-up. In fact, Texas has a surplus of protective equipment and can test more than 100,000 people a day. And while I don’t believe in this vaccine, he also points to the fact that a million seniors are vaccinated a week. By next week, nearly 7 million people will be already vaccinated. Soon, any senior that WANTS a vaccine will be able to have one.
Personally, I don’t advise getting vaccinated. Why risk the possible side effects such as bell’s palsy for a cold? Especially when the immune system is so perfectly designed to fight off the multitude of illnesses we come in contact with. But I can see why those with certain medical conditions find the risks outweigh the benefits. And for those people, I send them many prayers in their decision making.
For me, the answer is simple. I will take my chances on the virus.
Especially considering it already mutated. Because that means the vaccine will need to mutate. Then it’s just a spiral that keeps on going. Ask me again 5 years from now, when the vaccine is no longer associated with so many negative reports. Maybe I’ll change my mind. But don’t count on it.
As for the mask mandate, talk about a reason for mass elation! I won’t lie, I’ve rarely donned a mask. The only exception in my book has been school-related activities. And I only complied because I didn’t want children following my lead and ending up in detention. But let’s be honest. There’s just no logic behind these masks. If a one layer bandana serves as an effective germ resister, why do hospitals need surgical masks? Why don’t doctors just grab a bandana, wear it three weeks without washing, and declare the operating room completely safe? Oh yeah, it’s because a bandana isn’t effective for blocking viruses. Those irritating blue “medical” masks have a warning on the box that clearly says they can’t block covid. Sure, a surgical mask might. But it that really necessary?
It’s likely you’ve walked around for months with some cute mask one of your friends was sewing and selling on Facebook. And you don’t wash it too often. It’s completely ineffective. And yet, you aren’t sick. Think about that. Truly let it sink in.
I’m curious to see what happens next. I’ve seen businesses and school districts posting “no more masks, YAY!” And I’ve seen the opposite as well. “We’re not ready to go maskless.” It will take weeks for the turmoil to die down. But Abbott made the right choice. It’s been a hard year. It’s time to head back to normal, before we forget what that was.
