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Texas becomes biggest US state to lift COVID-19 mask mandate

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Who would have thought. :rolleyes:
 

Unbelievable!

Does Gov. Abbott not remember his 'mask-less' policy in the spring, and the resulting carnage? Large-scale sickness & death, that forced him to instate a statewide mask mandate as Texas became the third highest death state?

Texas has a positivity rate of 11.2%! That's in comparison to the national rate of around 4%. Why would he open-up, with what might be the highest positivity rate in the nation?

I think he's under duress for the recent Texas utilities fiasco, and is trying to right his political ship. If he misjudged, the utility fiasco might look like child's play - if Texas ends-up in masks & lock-downs again.
Stupid is as stupid does.
 
... some people have succeeded in politicizing mask wearing so they can accelerate their Armageddon wet dreams.

Poor form and in 200 years, nobody will see it positively.
 
Well, there's also these little things like sickness & death. By focusing only on hospital capacity, you're turning a blind eye to sickness & death.
No I am not turning a blind eye to anything.

Listen up pal. Hubby and I are the elderly that are the greatest at risk of death from this virus. We have been living like hermits for one ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not been able to hug, kiss all those I love for a ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did not get to celebrate Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020. This year we could not gather for New Years. Why? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Sometimes that comes with a price. This time it came with a great price, a year of our lives at an age where those years are numbered.

I never felt that because of those who were at greatest risk of death (the elderly and those with major comorbidities) that everyone else had to go into lockdowns to protect them. That was back ass ward thinking. You do your best to protect the vulnerable and allow everyone else get on with their lives. But that kind of thinking requires personal responsibility. Something that seems to be in short supply on the LEFT. In the meantime herd immunity is occurring giving them some protection until their age groups will be available.

Hubby and I have been looking all over to get the vaccine when our age group was able to receive it. Our doctor's office has not receive anymore vaccine after the number of 80 year olds had enough to vaccinate them and by law received the second doses. I signed up with a drug store accepting us. And we still have not received a notification . It was my daughter in law that every morning would go online before she stated work that got us appointments to receive the first injection on March 8th and the second in April. Mother's Day in May will be a great celebration and everyday forward.
 

Unbelievable!

Does Gov. Abbott not remember his 'mask-less' policy in the spring, and the resulting carnage? Large-scale sickness & death, that forced him to instate a statewide mask mandate as Texas became the third highest death state?

Texas has a positivity rate of 11.2%! That's in comparison to the national rate of around 4%. Why would he open-up, with what might be the highest positivity rate in the nation?

I think he's under duress for the recent Texas utilities fiasco, and is trying to right his political ship. If he misjudged, the utility fiasco might look like child's play - if Texas ends-up in masks & lock-downs again.
Ah, yes, let's take a look at that 'carnage' that resulted from the 'mask-less' policy. Ooooh, and let's compare it to, say, mask-heavy California.

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No I am not turning a blind eye to anything.

Listen up pal. Hubby and I are the elderly that are the greatest at risk of death from this virus. We have been living like hermits for one ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not been able to hug, kiss all those I love for a ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did not get to celebrate Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020. This year we could not gather for New Years. Why? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Sometimes that comes with a price. This time it came with a great price, a year of our lives at an age where those years are numbered.

I never felt that because of those who were at greatest risk of death (the elderly and those with major comorbidities) that everyone else had to go into lockdowns to protect them. That was back ass ward thinking. You do your best to protect the vulnerable and allow everyone else get on with their lives. But that kind of thinking requires personal responsibility. Something that seems to be in short supply on the LEFT. In the meantime herd immunity is occurring giving them some protection until their age groups will be available.

Hubby and I have been looking all over to get the vaccine when our age group was able to receive it. Our doctor's office has not receive anymore vaccine after the number of 80 year olds had enough to vaccinate them and by law received the second doses. I signed up with a drug store accepting us. And we still have not received a notification . It was my daughter in law that every morning would go online before she stated work that got us appointments to receive the first injection on March 8th and the second in April. Mother's Day in May will be a great celebration and everyday forward.
Oh well, that's what you get for living in an anti-science red state that decided to make the only time proven method for effective prevention of the spread of a highly contagious disease in the absence of a vaccine, the wearing of a mask, to protect yourself and others, a political football and badge. Next time elect better educated and informed political representatives. The ones you have now aren't working.
 
I've stopped caring about Texas.
 
How many people knowingly and unknowingly have had the virus and survived? (around 19%)

How many people have natural immunities? (40-60%)

How many people have been vaccinated?

Have the new strains of Covid become more dangerous?

How many states are playing identity politics and not vaccinating the elderly first?

I do think Texas is jumping the gun way too early.
 
The positivity rate could be 20% and it would be irrelevant. What is relevant is the number of people that need hospitalized. From the very beginning it has always been about the space available in hospitals. The elderly and those with comorbidities who have a very hard time with this virus are top priority in getting vaccinated in Texas. In the meantime there is a natural herd immunity occurring among the younger generation that will protect them for a time till they can get the vaccination.
Uh...hospitalizations are a function of positivity rate.
 
Infectious diseases don't stop spreading at the state line.

Come to think of it, there might be some Commerce Clause justification for some measures against Texas. But that's some extremely dicey territory with all the entitled right-wing extremists our country has.

If I were gov of a state, I’d want to do everything possible to make travel to/from Texas as close to impossible as I could until my state reached an acceptable level of vaccination.
 
No I am not turning a blind eye to anything.

Listen up pal. Hubby and I are the elderly that are the greatest at risk of death from this virus. We have been living like hermits for one ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not been able to hug, kiss all those I love for a ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did not get to celebrate Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020. This year we could not gather for New Years. Why? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Sometimes that comes with a price. This time it came with a great price, a year of our lives at an age where those years are numbered.

I never felt that because of those who were at greatest risk of death (the elderly and those with major comorbidities) that everyone else had to go into lockdowns to protect them. That was back ass ward thinking. You do your best to protect the vulnerable and allow everyone else get on with their lives. But that kind of thinking requires personal responsibility. Something that seems to be in short supply on the LEFT. In the meantime herd immunity is occurring giving them some protection until their age groups will be available.

Hubby and I have been looking all over to get the vaccine when our age group was able to receive it. Our doctor's office has not receive anymore vaccine after the number of 80 year olds had enough to vaccinate them and by law received the second doses. I signed up with a drug store accepting us. And we still have not received a notification . It was my daughter in law that every morning would go online before she stated work that got us appointments to receive the first injection on March 8th and the second in April. Mother's Day in May will be a great celebration and everyday forward.

Presumably we tax payers are paying for your healthcare, correct?
 
This is why federalism is a failure. Washington needs to step in and manage that state that Abbott is going out of his way to destroy.
You leftists love you some authoritarianism dont you. 😂
 
This is why federalism is a failure. Washington needs to step in and manage that state that Abbott is going out of his way to destroy.


Hey, they had better do the same with SF?(LOL)


 
this pisses me off, because both the disease and the lifting of restrictions will spread to other states before most of us even have a chance of getting vaccinated. i now feel even less enthusiastic about helping them with their electrical ****up.

spread to other states before most of us even have a chance of getting vaccinated.

Have no fear, Biden is now Prez(LOL)
 
Have no fear, Biden is now Prez(LOL)

i'm sure that sounds funny to you, but a state that size opening completely at the wrong time is very serious. other states will follow, and we aren't at the place where we can do it. many of us aren't even in line yet to get vaccinated, and it can take 21 days to get immunity.
 
i'm sure that sounds funny to you, but a state that size opening completely at the wrong time is very serious. other states will follow, and we aren't at the place where we can do it. many of us aren't even in line yet to get vaccinated, and it can take 21 days to get immunity.
Yeah yeah yeah, y'all said the same in September about Florida opening up. Yet they've done just as good if not better than the hard lockdown states like NY, CA, NJ, etc., in the months since. Almost as if..... lockdowns/shutdowns don't actually do much of anything.
 
I don't actually care what happens to Texas.
 
This is why federalism is a failure. Washington needs to step in and manage that state that Abbott is going out of his way to destroy.

Federalism is the thing that saved the U.S. from Trump's selfishness, stupidity, and maladministration during the pandemic.
 
actually, Will Hurd was an outstanding tejas congressman. too bad he retired at the conclusion of the past term
hope Biden will be wise enough to find a place for him in his administration

I agree. Not everyone from Texas is an idiot, but it does seem to be an essential requirement if you want a long political career there.

That all said, Texas has finally crossed into purple state territory. I suspect we will start seeing a sea-change in the caliber of their statewide elected officials over the next 10-15 years..... then will start seeing nothing but idiots coming from Ohio. Jim Jordan has certainly started to plow that field.
 
Federalism is the thing that saved the U.S. from Trump's selfishness, stupidity, and maladministration during the pandemic.

This is why federalism is a failure. Washington needs to step in and manage that state that Abbott is going out of his way to destroy.

That would make for an interesting debate. Was federalism the key to surviving the pandemic (some state governments did the right thing when the federal government failed) OR the curse that kept America in its bondage (some states did the wrong thing that kept the pandemic from ever getting under control, while the federal government abdicated its responsibility to coordinate the pandemic response efforts because it had a structural scape goat)?
 
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Covid infection rate in Texas since everything is opening and no masks.
 
No I am not turning a blind eye to anything.

Listen up pal. Hubby and I are the elderly that are the greatest at risk of death from this virus. We have been living like hermits for one ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not been able to hug, kiss all those I love for a ****ing year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We did not get to celebrate Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020. This year we could not gather for New Years. Why? IT IS CALLED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Sometimes that comes with a price. This time it came with a great price, a year of our lives at an age where those years are numbered.
No one is denying or trivializing you hardships here, Vesper. We're all going through this.

I never felt that because of those who were at greatest risk of death (the elderly and those with major comorbidities) that everyone else had to go into lockdowns to protect them. That was back ass ward thinking. You do your best to protect the vulnerable and allow everyone else get on with their lives. But that kind of thinking requires personal responsibility. Something that seems to be in short supply on the LEFT. In the meantime herd immunity is occurring giving them some protection until their age groups will be available.
Unfortunately, this 'protect the vulnerable' idea is theoretical fantasy. You can't adequately segment society, as you claim. This is seen by the huge amount of deaths of those in LTR facilities. Don't conflate your personal situation with the needs of the rest of society. Not everyone can do what your doing, for example those older folks in facilities or living with their families.

They way to solve this, is what we kinda' tried to do, but - in part due to Trump. The solution? Find a reasonable degree of social distancing, contact tracing, and positive-I.D. quarantine, in order to allay the wide spread of the virus until vaccinations can provide reasonable immunity. We're finally getting there now in terms of vaccinations, and I believe Biden will get us all vaccinated soon - by Summer I believe. Well, all that desire vaccination - that is. We will still have the anti-vaxxers & Trump hold-outs, and that may be problematic.

Hubby and I have been looking all over to get the vaccine when our age group was able to receive it. Our doctor's office has not receive anymore vaccine after the number of 80 year olds had enough to vaccinate them and by law received the second doses. I signed up with a drug store accepting us. And we still have not received a notification . It was my daughter in law that every morning would go online before she stated work that got us appointments to receive the first injection on March 8th and the second in April. Mother's Day in May will be a great celebration and everyday forward.
I wish you luck in this. The vaccine is reasonably physical available by me, for those 65 or older, picking-up greatly the last week or so. And yes, given that we don't open back up too quickly, I do believe you will have a joyous Mother's day. I'm sure you'll be vaccinated by then, too. And this last (vaccination) is my honest estimation, not a 'feel good' reply.
 
The positivity rate could be 20% and it would be irrelevant. What is relevant is the number of people that need hospitalized. From the very beginning it has always been about the space available in hospitals. The elderly and those with comorbidities who have a very hard time with this virus are top priority in getting vaccinated in Texas. In the meantime there is a natural herd immunity occurring among the younger generation that will protect them for a time till they can get the vaccination.

The interesting thing is the number of hospitalizations are going down, but the number of deaths are rising. If it the number of cases was dropping and there were similar declines in hospitalizations and deaths, easing restrictions might make more sense. I guess we'll see this play out the way it has repeatedly thus far. Given that Texas doesn't even have a high number of people vaccinated, there isn't that in place to make easing restrictions more logical.

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