In Texas, a ban on COVID-19 restrictions requiring masks in public went into effect after several establishments in the United States reinstated that policy due to a surge in new infections driven by the emergence of two new variants of the virus. the virus.
Senate Bill 29, passed by the state legislature in May and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in early June, went into effect Friday. It prohibits most government institutions from enforcing policies on people wearing masks, but imposes no restrictions on personal entities.
“In collaboration with the Texas Legislature, Governor Abbott signed a law this year codifying his 2021 executive orders, which prohibit any government entity from issuing mask or vaccine guarantees and final business due to COVID,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris told Newsweek.
“Thanks to Governor Abbott and the work of the Texas legislature, Texas has closed the door on COVID-related restrictions. “
Some personal institutions, hospital operators and schools have reintroduced the requirement for visitors to wear masks on their sites to restrict the spread of new variants (EG. 5 and BA. 2. 86), suggesting that new COVID-related restrictions would possibly be implemented. . horizon.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Newsweek on Thursday that it currently has no plans to request the return of mask orders.
The organizations that have reinstated the use of masks are founded in Georgia, California and New York.
Last Friday, Abbott flatly denied the return of COVID-era politics, one of many measures aimed at restricting the spread of the virus, in his state, tweeting, “There will be NO court order for mask wearing in Texas.
SB 29, which was sponsored primarily by Republicans and a Democratic senator, states that “a government entity would not possibly implement, order, or otherwise impose a court order requiring a wearer to wear a mask or other face covering to save himself. “the spread of COVID”. -19. “
There will be NO court order in Texas. https://t. co/qFbfxuenhR
However, it exempts state-funded residential facilities, Texas Department of Criminal Justice sites, and government-owned physical care services from the ban. It also prohibits the imposition of mandatory vaccinations and the forced closure of personal businesses and schools through government agencies to restrict COVID-19.
During the week of Aug. 19, there were more than 15,000 hospitalizations due to COVID infections in the United States, according to the CDC’s recent surveillance peaks, an increase of only about 19% over the past week.
In Texas, there were 1,366 hospital admissions due to COVID-19, up 22. 6% from last week.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were widely used to restrict the spread of the virus, even as mandatory needs for masks and vaccines sparked protests in some places.
There are different reviews within the clinical network on the effectiveness of the mask in saving COVID-19 infections, many agree that when used in conjunction with other measures, such as hand washing, social distancing and vaccination, they help save you the virus from spreading.
In March 2021, Abbott lifted the mask mandate in Texas, raising the rollout of the vaccine. In May of the same year, he issued an executive order prohibiting government entities from requiring the use of face masks, a decision upheld by the state Supreme Court. Court in June.
Update 4/9/23, 3:05 a. m. ET: This article was updated with comments from Greg Abbott’s office.
Aleks Phillips is an American journalist for Newsweek based in London. It focuses on American politics and the environment. He has extensively covered climate change, as well as fitness care and crime. Aleks joined Newsweek in 2023 from the Daily Express and in the past worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. Se graduated from Cambridge University.
You can reach Aleks by sending an email to aleks. phillips@newsweek. com.