PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Texas is just days away from lifting mask restrictions and at the same time, allowing businesses to operate at 100-percent capacity.
"I know the big question is 'When can we take our mask off?' and I'll start with: right now is not the right time," said Dr. Chris Bird of Texas A&M University and Corpus Christi's COVID-19 Task Force.
The Governor's call to lift the statewide mask mandate comes as Spring Break officially kicks off.
For this Port Aransas business owner, mask requirements are still up in the air even though they won't be mandated by the State.
"Loosen things up some, but at the same time we don't want to put any of our customers coming in or our staff in bad situations where they can get sick," said Edwin Myers, operating manager of Kody's restaurant.
Brett Stawar with the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau said there are a few things to keep in mind before heading to Port A to spend Spring Break:
"It's kind of the opinion of most of our town," Stewar said. "There will be places you can enjoy safely, and there will be places that you might want to, if you haven't had the antidote yet or, if you haven't had the vaccine, that you might want to be a little more precautious on some of your experiences here."
From a health standpoint, Annette Rodriguez said for the safety of your loved ones, wearing a mask is just one way to protect them.
"Patrons don't have to go to these places where you don't feel safe or comfortable. It's not the right time to just say 'oh, he said we don't have to wear a mask so I'm not wearing a mask anymore,' because you're putting yourself and others at risk," Rodriguez said.
Health experts said the longer people choose to wear a mask in crowded places, the sooner "normalcy" sets in.
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