A New Study Confirms That Reopening Texas '100 Percent' Had No Discernible Impact on COVID-19 Cases or Deaths
Jacob Sullum | 5.21.2021 2:35 PM
After Texas became the first state to eliminate both its face mask mandate and its business occupancy limits in early March, President Joe Biden said the decision reflected "Neanderthal thinking." Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, described Gov. Greg Abbott's order as "extraordinarily dangerous," warning that it "will kill Texans."
Anthony Fauci, Biden's top COVID-19 adviser, said lifting mask mandates "is really quite risky," because "when you pull back on measures of public health, invariably you've seen a surge" in cases and deaths. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said she had a "recurring feeling" of "impending doom," warning that premature relaxation of "public health prevention strategies" could lead to a "fourth surge."
More than two months later, the public health disaster predicted by Abbott's critics has not materialized. A new analysis by three economists confirms that his decision had no discernible impact on COVID-19 cases or deaths in Texas.
