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WESLACO, TEXAS - JUNE 30: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a border security briefing on June 30, 2021 in Weslaco, Texas. Gov. Abbott has pledged to build a state-funded border wall between Texas and Mexico as a surge of mostly Central American immigrants crossing into the United States has challenged U.S. immigration agencies. So far in 2021, U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 900,000 immigrants crossing into the United States on the southern border.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday banning vaccine mandates in the state.
The executive order states that no business or other entity in Texas can require employees and consumers to the COVID-19 vaccine. Abbott's executive order also states that this one overrules vaccine mandates imposed by local officials.
According to Huffington Post, Abbott is fully vaccinated. He tested positive for COVID-19 in August, but he didn't experience severe symptoms. However, only 52 percent of the population in Texas has been fully vaccinated.
In August, Abbott issued an executive order blocking vaccine mandates from state and local agencies. However, there were still exemptions for nursing home employees, as well as state-supported living centers, assisted living facilities, and acute care facilities.
Other states also banned COVID-19 vaccination mandate
Other than Texas, some states in the country have also banned COVID-19 mandates.
On April 28, Arkansas enacted a bill prohibiting the state, political subdivisions of the state, or public officials from requiring future employees to get vaccinated so that they could get hired.
Days earlier, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey issued an order prohibiting Arizona from requiring residents to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status to enter businesses, buildings, and the like. However, healthcare institutions can request the same document from the residents of Arizona.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp also banned all state agencies from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition for employment in Georgia.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis also banned businesses and other establishments from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination on April 2.
Five months later, a $5,000 fine will be charged to anyone that requires COVID-19 vaccination proof from residents. Other than these states, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah have also banned all COVID-19 vaccination mandates, according to Beckers Hospital Review.
Can the COVID-19 vaccination mandate save lives?
According to reports, Joe Biden believes that a COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate will boost the economy and save lives. Once approved, the mandate will apply to organizations with at least 100 employees and cover an estimated 80 million workers.
However, at least two dozen Republican attorneys general have already threatened to file lawsuits if the mandate will take into effect. Others have also vowed to quit their jobs so that they won't be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine and tests.
David Michaels, former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), said that most companies would most likely comply without the government being forced to intervene.
Michaels also said that the rule should not be regarded as a vaccine mandate. Instead, it's just a way to keep the workplace safe from COVID-19.
"[OSHA] is going to tell employers they have to make sure that potentially infectious workers don't enter the workplace, and they can do that a number of different ways. In the last week, I've spoken with hundreds of business leaders, and the question they ask me is not how will OSHA enforce this. The question is, what do I need to do to comply?" Michaels said via NBC News.
Related Article: Vaccine Mandate: Biden Administration Releases New Guidance That Terminates Federal Employees If They Refuse To Get Inoculated
