Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently lifted the statewide mask mandate and allowed all businesses to reopen to 100% capacity should they choose to. However, masks are not gone completely. The decision means “Texas as a state isn’t going to make you wear a mask, but you as an individual or as a business can make those decisions for yourself,” as University of Texas at Austin student Travis Salomaki explained. Frisco, Texas resident Jill Berger believes “due to the vaccination numbers and decreased hospitalizations, Abbott’s decision was warranted.”
COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to everybody over the age of 16 in Texas. The vaccine rollout has been incredibly successful- 36.2% of Texans have been fully vaccinated as of April 10, 2021 according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Countrywide, 20% of the U.S. population of 330 million is now fully vaccinated.¹
“Half and Half”
As Texas is a red state, many are happy with the decision to lift the mask mandate and reopen businesses, but many also believe it is a premature move. Texans appear to be split, and unsurprisingly, opinions differ heavily based on political lines.
Republican individuals believe in increased individual freedoms and want a smaller federal government, meaning the least amount of governmental intervention as possible in their personal and statewide endeavors. It is because of this platform that Republicans show more aversion to government-mandated mask-wearing than Democrats, and that states and cities governed by Republican politicians reflect these views.
Both pro and anti-mask protests have happened across the state since the pandemic started, showing how heated the debate has been since the beginning. An anti-mask protest took place in State Capitol Austin in June 2020; led by the controversial Alex Jones, founder of conservative talk show Info Wars, 150 unmasked protestors gathered at the Governor’s Mansion.
In March 2021, right after Abbott lifted the mask mandate, pro-mask groups like the Amplified Sounds Coalition and Democratic Socialists of America gathered at the Capitol building to express their opposition to the lessened precautionary measures.
From a political perspective, Governor Abbott’s choice to lift the mask mandate and reopen businesses to 100% capacity shows how highly he prioritizes the Texas economy and getting it running again after being hurt for so long. It plays to his constituents very well.
The Business End
“For me in Austin, nothing really has changed,” says Salomaki. But if I went to East or West Texas, to some of those smaller rural towns, it would be vastly different.” Nearly all establishments in Democratic-voting cities like Austin still require masks, while businesses in Republican-heavy cities like Frisco are more quick to do away with their mask requirements.
Jill says that many businesses in Frisco are changing the signs on their doors to say "mask recommended" instead of "required. In those places you’ll see about half and half [wearing masks and not].”
“It really comes down to enforcement,” she says. “If you walk into a clothing store without a mask, they’re not going to say anything to you. But most grocery stores will require masks.”
Austin kickboxing gym Fight Club is leaving their existing COVID measures in place, even though they legally could lift some. Trainer Lia Mouton-Johnston explained that until significant scientific evidence can prove lifting all precautions is warranted, Fight Club will continue to require masks before and after workouts, physically distance its clients, and reduce class sizes.
Mouton-Johnston believes that lifting restrictions could have both a positive and negative impact on business. “We could increase our capacity and therefore our revenue a lot sooner. But if safety precautions weren’t followed across Austin and cases rose once again, our customers would be at risk of catching COVID.”
Now that large numbers of the population are getting vaccinated, the gym could offer workout classes for fully vaccinated people with no masks and minimal distancing, while unvaccinated people would pursue classes with Covid safety measures.
At the end of the day, the choice to wear a mask or not wear one has not caused too much conflict between neighbors in Texas. “Nobody has been super belligerent, or put up a fight to shop owners. People can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, and they know that life is going to resume, so they’re willing to comply,” says Jill. It seems like the conflict is resolving now that large portions of the population are getting vaccinated and the hope of resuming normal life is on the horizon.
Giving COVID vaccines in Texas
Meg Cartwright, a junior nursing student at the University of Texas, was trained in giving COVID vaccinations and gave shots to Austin healthcare workers as early as December 2020. She received the Pfizer vaccination in December.
Q: Are people happy to be vaccinated? Were they hesitant?
A: I always ask people how they are feeling before they get their shot and almost every one of them is extremely excited. They have often waited for a long time to get the vaccine and consider themselves lucky to get into the clinic. Everyone there was 100% confident in their decision to get the vaccine, despite occasional concerns about needles and side effects.
Q: What are the most frequent questions people ask?
A: They ask how the vaccine works, when they can expect immunity, how long it will last, if they should avoid drinking alcohol after. There are also questions about how the mRNA vaccine works and potential side effects. Before signing up for the clinic, I completed a brief training on the specifics of the vaccine, how it is produced, shipped, stored and administered. Just the logistics. I didn’t learn anything about patient education, and had to find answers to their questions from other sources and personal experience.
Q: How was the clinic run? What did a typical day in the clinic look for you?
A: On a typical day, I get to the clinic around noon and since I am a student, the staff watch me administer the first shot and then they let me fly solo until the end of my shift around 5 p.m. There are about 30 vaccine stations (distanced at least 6 feet apart) and people are constantly coming in. They take extra care to ensure that no vaccine doses are wasted, bringing me only one dose at a time to administer instead of giving me 10 at the beginning of my shift. Though it is less efficient and people have to wait longer, it makes sure no dose is wasted at the end of the day.
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