The United States is reporting an average of more than 65,400 new daily COVID cases in the past seven days. Officials warn that the “stalling out” of these cases can mean a resurgence of the COVID variants.

Earlier this week, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas tweeted “I just announced Texas is OPEN 100%. Everything. I also ended the statewide mask ban”. Many people are outraged over this decision and find it extremely careless of the governor. Some Twitter users are commenting about their shock and disbelief, and others are praising the Governor for his decision.

Valentina Jimenez, a student here at UHart says “just because we are slightly declining in COVID cases, it does not mean that removing the mask mandate should even be put on the table. These masks save lives and giving Americans the go-ahead to not wear them anymore is an attack on the millions of people who would be affected by someone else not wearing their mask”.

Joe Biden is quite upset over Abbott’s actions, calling the decision “neanderthal thinking”. Biden released a statement urging Americans to “follow the science” and stressed the fact that elected officials in the country must follow the rules. Following this statement, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, warned officials about moving too quickly, and “losing the hard-earned ground we have gained”. Health officials are very concerned about what happens after the cancellation of the mask mandate in Texas, and only time will show the results.