TEXAS – During a live interview on KPRC 2 News at 5, Gov. Greg Abbott said despite the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, he will not impose another mask mandate.
Abbott said instead, he’s working with local officials to ensure that everyone has the supplies they need to get the vaccine if they want it.
“The medical component, as we all know, is that one of the things that dramatically reduces, if not eliminates, the possibility of getting COVID or even getting the Delta variant of COVID is getting a vaccine,” Abbott said.
The governor said his reason behind not issuing another mask mandate is due to people having “immunity to COVID through the vaccination or through their own exposure and recovery from it.”
“It would be inappropriate to require people who already have immunity to wear a mask,” Abbott said. “But also, what we know is, everyone watching the show and in the state of Texas know exactly what the standards are and if they want to adopt them in order to help protect themselves.”
Abbott said the people who are most in danger of losing their lives or getting ill, which are senior citizens, are getting the vaccine. He said more than 80% of seniors in Texas have recieved at least one dose of the vaccine, and at least 70% are fully vaccinated.
“It’s only the younger cohort that are just now becoming to the age of vaccination that have not yet received a shot,” Abbott pointed out.
In addition, Abbott briefly spoke about kids returning to school in a little over a month and the protocols that would be put in place. The governor said kids will not be forced by the government or schools to wear a mask in the fall.
“What we do anticipate is that as kids are approaching the beginning of school, and with the Delta variant increasing, you probably will see an increase in the number of parents choosing to have the child vaccinated, as well as, the increase in teachers who have not yet been vaccinated, probably going out and getting a vaccination,” Abbott said. “So, I do anticipate seeing an increase in the number of people getting a vaccine.”
Watch the full interview with Gov. Greg Abbott in the video playlist above.