National Review By Jim Geraghty 3/10/2021
Today, Texans are no longer under a statewide mandate to wear masks in public, and businesses in the state can operate at 100 percent capacity. President Biden contends that this is “neanderthal thinking,†and many media voices consider it the most reckless decision since the state of Georgia allegedly began a formal experiment in human sacrifice in April 2020. But the data simply don’t support the argument that the Lone Star State is making a dramatic change from masking conditions a week ago, or that it is making a dramatically different move on permitted business capacity, or that states that didn’t enact mask mandates performed the worst during this pandemic.
No, Texans Aren’t Crazy, or ‘Neanderthal’ Two months before yesterday was Tuesday, January 12. On that day, the state of Texas reported 27,147 new cases of COVID-19 and 305 new deaths from the pandemic. (All numbers from Worldometers.)
Six weeks before yesterday was Tuesday, January 26. On that day, Texas reported 22,796 new cases of COVID-19 and 332 new deaths from the pandemic.
One month before yesterday was Tuesday, February 9. On that day, Texas reported 13,282 new cases of COVID-19 and 303 new deaths from the pandemic.
Two weeks before yesterday was Tuesday, February 23, Texas reported 10,090 new cases of COVID-19 and 258 new deaths from the virus.
Yesterday was Tuesday, March 9. The state of Texas reported 5,119 new cases of COVID-19, and 168 new deaths from the virus.
It’s not quite a straight or smooth line, but you can see a steady decline in cases, followed by a similar decline in deaths. This doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. But it does suggest that the worst is over. Hospitals across the state now report a significant amount of unused capacity. “State health officials in Texas reported to the federal government that 75 percent of inpatient beds and 80 percent of ICU beds in hospitals across the state were still occupied as of March 6. Around 9 percent of beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported.†(Unused hospital beds are good for emergencies, but not good for the long-term financial health of the hospital.)
More:
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/texas-isnt-crazy-for-lifting-its-mask-mandate/