The CDC has recently reported new variants of Covid-19 are popping up across the United States. Despite that, states are beginning to open back up. Governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, is one of the first to announce he is lifting restrictions. He states, “It is now time to open Texas 100 percent.” Texas currently has a population of 29 million people. It is the first large state to consider opening back up despite the pandemic still continuing. Many other states are set on following in this state's footsteps. For Example, Mississippi is also considering lifting all restrictions. Greg Abbot is quoted saying, “We now have vaccines”. He believes that the state of Texas should not continue to worry about the virus, but instead should get vaccinated and back to normal life. Abbot insists that continuing to live under restrictions is hurting the United states economy due to reduced employment opportunities and business capacity. The CDC however is warning that citizens should continue to wear masks and remain 6 feet from each other. The new variants of the virus have the CDC on high alert and they suggest it is not a good idea to completely remove restriction until herd immunity is obtained.
Should states remove restrictions? Is Greg Abbot right? Is the CDC right? When will it be safe to remove restrictions ?
I think that we should still worry about the virus. Even though many are getting vaccinated, you would rather be safe than sorry. I think that would should remove some restrictions, but not all. We also wouldn't want to see a new spike in cases after we lift the restrictions. I think that we should listen to both of the economic and public health arguments and try to find a balance between the two since this is a tough situation. I also believe that personally I would rather wear masks now if that means not having to deal with them later. Also, the CDC knows more about this than me, so I trust them and follow their guidelines. I believe that it won't be until at least fall this year that we as a country will be able to fully move on. -Brooke
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand that being locked down with a lot of restrictions can be harmful in a variety of ways, I think that completely removing these restrictions is a drastic move. There are certain precautions that need to be taken, and after an entire state has been undergoing so many restrictive provisions, it is paramount that the necessary steps be taken with mindfulness and patience, not an abrupt decision to completely withdraw the very safe guards set in place to protect from the pandemic that just so happens to still be a prevalent issue.-Kirstyn
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