<p>“Also, I am ending the statewide mask mandate," said the governor, fresh off a statewide crisis that threw millions into the freezing cold without power or water, almost as an afterthought. “Texans have mastered the habits to keep from getting COVID."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TEXAS—“I'm issuing a new executive order that rescinds most of the earlier executive orders."<a href="https://twitter.com/GovAbbott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovAbbott</a> orders 100% of businesses in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texas</a> open and ends statewide mask mandate starting next Wednesday, March 10. <a href="https://t.co/uALxx9cSjF">pic.twitter.com/uALxx9cSjF</a><br/>
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1366846236968501256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Phil Huang is calling the move "premature."</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, Texas ranks 48th in vaccine administration, meaning only two states (Georgia and Utah) have inoculated even fewer of its residents on a percentage basis.</p><p>It appears Abbott may be removing the protections for purely political reasons. On Monday night he tweeted out a new poll that shows his approval rating did not suffer despite the power grid disaster that led to dozens of deaths.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you Texans for your support.<br/><br/>I will have some exciting news for you tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/xX15LUwsoN">https://t.co/xX15LUwsoN</a><br/>— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1366575890797391874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Some are tying the political decision to this weekend's CPAC conference:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">If you're curious why Texas just suddenly ended our mask mandates and COVID business restrictions, look no further than the CPAC presidential straw poll. <br/><br/>Greg Abbott got zero votes. This is not a coincidence. <br/><br/>What happens at CPAC matters.<br/>— Kenny Webster 🎙 (@KenWebsterII) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenWebsterII/status/1366840648641445888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>The internet was stunned.</p><p>Journalist David Gura noted the pandemic in Texas is even worse than when Abbott finally invoked the COVID-19 restrictions.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When Gov. Greg Abbott announced a statewide mask mandate, I was on a reporting trip to Houston.<br/>
On that Thursday, July 2nd, there were 7,434 new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> cases in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texas</a>, and 44 deaths.
Yesterday, there were 8,140 cases and 129 deaths.
— David Gura (@davidgura) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidgura/status/1366846397396316161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Here's what others are saying:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"I just announced that I'm killing more Texans.
AS MANY AS I CAN.
I also ended the statewide mask mandate that was saving lives while we wait for vaccine doses."
Fixed it for you.<br/>
— MightyMary007 (@Mary007Mighty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mary007Mighty/status/1366848258316791809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Governor Greg Abbott has announced he's re-opening businesses in Texas 100% and removing the mask mandate.<br/>
TX is LAST in per capita vaccinations. 93.5% of the state has not yet been fully vaccinated.
Don't ever let a republican tell you they're "pro-life" again.
— Steve Hofstetter (@SteveHofstetter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveHofstetter/status/1366839624363094026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
No power, No water, No masks. Fucking geniuses.<br/>
— TheRealBATJAY (@therealbatjay) <a href="https://twitter.com/therealbatjay/status/1366848029916037121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Pro Life Party my ass<br/>
— TWalsh (@hogan_1969) <a href="https://twitter.com/hogan_1969/status/1366846892911517705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
at a time when wearing double masks is encouraged and safer, in a state where we've had over 2 million cases & almost 45,000 deaths, our “governor" <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GregAbbott_TX</a> has decided to lift the mask mandate, putting 29 million texas residents at risk. not very pro life if you ask me. <a href="https://t.co/cPedVSYjMf">pic.twitter.com/cPedVSYjMf</a><br/>
— ༺coco༻ (@kittykatcoco) <a href="https://twitter.com/kittykatcoco/status/1366849237158293508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Hi, ICU nurse here in Austin. So disgusted & sick to my stomach over this news. Less than 20% of the state has been vaccinated and we are just barely starting to get relief in the hospitals from Covid surges. This is absolutely too early to lift restrictions.<br/>
— Elizabeth Wilks (@IzabethJD) <a href="https://twitter.com/IzabethJD/status/1366851284041691142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Got to deflect from your power grid mess of a couple of weeks ago, huh? Might be nice to wait until we are above a 6% vaccine rate.<br/>
— FV Angela 📚⚾️🏀🌊🍷 (@fv_angela) <a href="https://twitter.com/fv_angela/status/1366847648548999171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Greg Abbott: "If that snowstorm didn't kill them, this will!" <a href="https://t.co/uqaTM8T4if">https://t.co/uqaTM8T4if</a><br/>— Rob Gill (@vote4robgill) <a href="https://twitter.com/vote4robgill/status/1366854419929784323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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