Fauci: Texas inviting another virus surge by lifting mask mandate

Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: Study finds Pfizer vaccine neutralizes Brazilian variant | New CDC guidelines a blow for ailing airline industry | House to vote Wednesday on COVID relief Democrats spar over COVID-19 vaccine strategy Fauci, other Biden health officials to testify on vaccination effort MORE, President BidenJoe BidenDNC beefs up its finance team Pentagon extends National Guard presence at Capitol through May 23 Blinken to appear before Foreign Affairs Committee MORE‘s chief medical adviser, suggested Wednesday that Texas officials are inviting another surge of the coronavirus by lifting the state’s mask mandate.

Texas officially repealed its mask mandate on Wednesday and allowed businesses to reopen at full capacity. The changes came even as public health experts cautioned against reopening too soon, despite declining cases.

During a CNN interview, Fauci called Texas’ move a “concern.”

“We understand people’s need to get back to normal, and we’re going in that direction. But when you start doing things like completely putting aside all public health measures as if you’re turning a light switch off, that’s quite risky,” Fauci said. “We don’t want to see another surge, and that’s inviting one when you do that.”

More than a dozen states currently do not have a mask mandate in effect, though Texas is now the largest without rules for face coverings.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) unveiled similar restrictions last Tuesday.

Fauci last week called the states’ moves “inexplicable” and suggested that it could lead to another surge.

“What we don’t need right now is another surge, so just pulling back on all of the public health guidelines that we know work, and if you take a look at the curve we know it works, it just is inexplicable why you would want to pull back now,” Fauci told CNN last Wednesday.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) defended his decision against bipartisan criticism last week, saying that lifting the mask mandate “isn’t going to make that big of a change in the state of Texas.”

“Also, people in Texas will continue to wear a mask even though there’s not a state mandate,” he said. “We’re just in a situation now where government mandates are not needed because Texans do know best practices.”