Texas Governor Greg Abbott's announcement to drop the mask mandate and fully open the state to commercial activities is an attempt to deflect from the seriousness of the electric grid failure during the recent snowstorm, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the CERAWeek energy conference on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2021) Texas Governor Greg Abbott's announcement to drop the mask mandate and fully open the state to commercial activities is an attempt to deflect from the seriousness of the electric grid failure during the recent snowstorm, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the CERAWeek energy conference on Friday.
"We just had system-wide failure of our electric grid during the winter storm, and there have been hearings in the legislature on that almost on a daily basis. It's a very costly storm because the state failed to take the necessary steps to have prevented it," Turner said. "I am thinking in many ways that dropping the mask order is an attempt to deflect from the seriousness of the failure of that electric grid."
On Tuesday, Abbott said he is dropping the novel coronavirus-related restrictions by lifting a statewide mask mandate and allowing all businesses in the state to reopen. Other US states that have lifted the mask mandate include Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee.
Turner explained there is much discussion about whether to wear a mask in an effort to prevent contracting the novel coronavirus, but his view is the governor's decision to rescind the mask mandate is an attempt to divert the discussion on the electric grid's failure in Texas.
"I view it as a deflection," Turner said. "The state of Texas was already open 75 percent. I am not so much taken aback from going to a 100 percent. But what is essential is requiring people to keep on their masks when they are in the presence of other people."
Turner claimed until the residents are vaccinated against the coronavirus, they have to wear masks.
"These masks are critically important, and I was disappointed that the Governor decided to roll back the mask order," he said. "I just simply thought the order to roll back the mask... was simply not a prudent one. It was not wise."
