Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Monday banning so-called “vaccine passports,” saying that a system to track down those vaccinated against COVID-19 infringes the rights of citizens.
“Every day, Texans are returning to normal life as more people get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. But, as I have been saying all along, these vaccines are always voluntary and never forced,” Abbott said in the announcement. the executive order. .
“The government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and disclose personal health information just to go about his daily life,” he added. “That’s why I’ve issued an executive order banning government-mandated vaccine passports in Texas. We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health – and we will do so without trespassing on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
Abbott has come under heat in recent weeks for lifting a statewide mask mandate and his handling of a major snowstorm that left residents without power and heat for days on end.
Another Republican, Gov. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis Democratic Mayor of Florida calls ’60 Minutes’ reporting on state vaccine rollout ‘deliberately false’ EPA chief highlights water improvement provisions in infrastructure law Fauci says federal government no longer mandates vaccine passports of Florida, last week pledged to take similar executive measures to prevent companies from needing vaccine passports before providing services to customers.
“We always said we wanted to give it to everyone, but didn’t want to mandate it for anyone,” said DeSantis. “And that was something that although it was recommended to take, especially if you’re vulnerable, we wouldn’t force you to do it.”
DeSantis called it “completely unacceptable for the government or the private sector to require you to show proof of vaccination just to participate in normal society.”
On Monday, Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciOvernight Health Care: 46 COVID-19 Cases Linked to Indoor Bar Event in Rural Illinois | CDC says risk of COVID-19 transfer on surfaces is 1 in 10,000 | Fauci suggests no federal mandate for vaccine passports Twitter Says Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Account Falsely Suspended Second Time Fauci Says Federal Government Won’t Mandate Vaccine Passports MORE, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, said the federal government will not mandate documentation of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“I doubt the federal government will be the main driver of a vaccine passport concept,” Fauci said. “They may be involved in making sure things are done fairly and justly, but I doubt the federal government will be the leading element in that.”