The Republican governor has prohibited any entity in the state from requiring “receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination.”
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott issued an executive order (EO) on Monday to prevent the enforcement of vaccine mandates in the state by any entity, including private businesses. The new order comes as Texas leads the nation in average daily deaths due to COVID-19, and amid continuing vaccine hesitancy among a section of the U.S. population. Abbott, a Republican, had previously issued an order prohibiting mask mandates and threatening fines for local government officials who tried to impose face mask requirements. Data compiled by The New York Times shows that the average number of daily deaths from COVID-19 in Texas stands at 241.4. That figure represents data from the seven days up to October 11. Texas’ average is significantly higher than the state with the next highest figure, Florida, which stands at 149.7 average daily deaths. However, Texas is not leading in deaths per 100,000 residents. That figure stood at 0.83 per 100,000 in Texas, less than several other states, including West Virginia, which led the nation in this measure with 1.
