Jonathan Reiner, MD, is a CNN medical analyst and Professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University. When Abbott issued his executive order on March 2, he said, "People and businesses don't need the state telling them how to operate." Over the past six weeks, the United States has seen a precipitous drop in Covid cases and a dramatic rise in the rate of vaccinations. On March 2, Texas recorded a statewide test positivity rate over 12%, three times higher than the national average. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Abbott's statewide responses have shuttled between restrictions instituted too late, and measures relaxed prematurely.

Source: The Nation March 09, 2021 01:09 UTC