Texas in the News Weekly Quiz March 15, 2021

Weekly Quiz 9: Monday, March 15, 2021

“Opening” Texas

“It is now time to open Texas 100%,” a confident Governor Abbott said from a Tex-Mex restaurant in Lubbock, suggesting that Texas has fought the coronavirus pandemic to the point that “people and businesses don’t need the state telling them how to operate” any longer. The Governor proceeded to remove several executive orders issued in the past year to stem the spread of the virus, including an order mandating Texans wear masks.

Too soon, argued some business and health leaders in Texas. They point to data which shows that the virus continued to spread, killing hundreds of Texans a week, that most Texans did not have their COVID-19 vaccinations, and that many of the most vulnerable groups in Texas and racial and ethnic minorities did not have access to quality health care which expanded the spread of the virus in those communities. Health officials also worry that letting up on more severe restrictions could undo all the work they have done to keep the virus from spreading faster.

The Governor emphasized in his statement the medical tools available to treat and protect Texans from the virus and stressed the need to get the economy back on track quickly. The Governor did reference the need to remain vigilant by asking Texans to wear masks when in public, putting the burden on businesses to decide whether or not to enforce mask-wearing requirements, on school boards to keep or drop mask mandates for children, and on county officials to monitor hospital capacity which could trigger “COVID mitigation” strategies if the capacity rose about 15% in a hospital region for more than seven straight days.

Have a look at the governor’s press release and related articles about his announcement removing COVID-19 restrictions in Texas:


. Which is not listed as a reason why the Governor says it is permissible to remove restrictions on businesses?

. Which of the following is not a reason why medical professionals are worried about the Governor's orders?

. If COVID-19 hospitalizations rise above _______% for _______ straight days, county officials can trigger "COVID mitigation strategies" in their counties.

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