I do agree that texas is especially vulnerable now that the border is open. I will continue to mask and social distance.
To be clear, I do not believe that you believe COVID is a hoax. You supported someone for President that claimed it was a hoax, and you to this day believe the claim of widespread election fraud which is absurd. Having said that, mandates are not being loosened because of any data on NPI's. They are being loosened because of political reasons and because of the vaccine roll out. The question is WHEN is the appropriate time to cut back or stop mandates. Right before Spring Break, and while a vast majority of the people are still not vaccinated is not the right time for a complete disengage of any protections.... the Governor even stated as much in his address, and then he just tweets the mask mandate is gone and everything is open. It is foolishness.
I am a supporter of a change in how the USA monitors and defends the Southern (and Northern) border........ but the possibility of getting COVID from someone crossing the border should be low on your list considering you will now have millions of people from within the US border not required to take precautions.
It's unfortunate and another one of those things that shows that the Universe isn't fair. If anything those people who refuse to wear mask or social distance need to get vaccinated because they are most likely to spread it to others. This is why a pandemic is one of the worst disasters that can happen to the US. It requires social consciousness and an understanding of how much individual actions can affect collective outcomes. As a society we don't like to think of things like that and much of our society is openly hostile to things like that. Instead we tend to think about what's good for us and rationalize things based upon what happens to us or to our narrow circle of friends or acquaintances. For example. "I'm healthy and am not going to sick and I don't know anyone personally who's died of it." While those people won't wear masks or distance giving them a vaccine is something they don't have to think about and then gives some protection to the rest of society.
Welp HEB is requiring one and my job requires KN95 so it looks like 99% of my away from home activities will be safe.
Not sure who that was addressed to, probably someone I have on ignore, but I agree with your response. If Abbot and his bunch try to "blame it on those immigrants pouring over the border" if and when this hurry up and loosen restrictions plan backfires, then those words certainly won't be worth more than a grain of salt.
Just answering this, in that circumstance you're in a controlled setting of a room that has been constantly monitored in and out. Masks without a doubt are required in this instance. There's no going around that in the medical field where sanitation is constant and consistent. It's completely different when you're out in public with a constant flow of people coming and going and all that comes with that. The real question has always been for this specific virus if a mask truly prevents you from getting it. I'm sure many of us know folks by now who have been positive at one point or another within the past year. And also the type of masks people wear and how they've been wearing it is another discussion. What sucks is we're a year into this and questions like this haven't been definitively answered with both sides still sticking to their guns. pretty bad for this day and age. FTR I don't consider it that big of a deal to wear one at the end of the day during these times and I'm going to continue to wear masks and for the most part I think a majority of folks will too. I think you'll see more folks not wearing them in smaller towns etc and perhaps if you go to the store or something you'll probably see that few that are not. But just as a sign of respect I don't think you're going to walk into HEB next week and everyone is just suddenly maskless. I'll give society more credit than that.
HEB is only requiring employees to wear masks...not customers. im guessing they would like to enforce the mask policy for their customers, but dont want to risk the safety of their employees as you would certainly have a bunch of dumbass trumpers trying to fight with them. https://www.click2houston.com/news/...or-employees-despite-abbotts-executive-order/
u dont get it !! in a pandemic, we're all carriers of the virus. more than anything else, the mask helps to prevent carriers from spreading the virus
It isn't a matter of you getting sick, it is a matter of you getting sick and passing it to others that can get very sick or someone getting someone you care about and is at risk very sick. As I said, I can understand increasing occupancy and further opening things up.... but I think not requiring a mask is foolish. I am glad that HEB is requiring a mask, but it never should have even came to that point.
I agree that the majority of Americans will still wear masks and use precautions, especially those who haven't been vaccinated. I think the limits being lifted on bars is the biggest way to spread Covid honestly. That concerns me the most right now. We'll see how seriously people take the virus this month and next when the Maskless party it up spring breakers pack in the bars down the coastal cities of Texas to 100% capacity.
