(NBC News) Texas has officially lifted its statewide mask mandate and rolled back COVID-19 restrictions on businesses.
It’s a move that’s drawing mixed reactions.
“We’ve got a few people excited to not have to wear their masks,” gym manager Lindsey Allen says.
Cafe owner Mike Snider isn’t as enthusiastic.
“I’m not going to follow the politicians. I’m going to follow the CDC and the doctors and the scientists,” he says.
In lifting the mask mandate, Texas joined more than a dozen other states with no mandatory face coverings.
With only a small percentage of Texans vaccinated, some doctors are expressing concern.
“We’re still seeing people come into the hospital every day, dying every day. This is not a good time to stop wearing masks,” Memorial Hermann infectious disease specialist Dr. Linda Yancey says.
Businesses may still require masks if they so chose, and many are.
Nationwide the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are again trending downward, but health officials warn they remain too high.
“We are at a critical point in this pandemic and on the cusp of having enough vaccine to protect every adult in the U.S.,” Centers for Disease Control director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says. “We ask for your patience in practicing proven protective measures for just a little while longer.”
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