Texas schools, stores divided on masks as mandate ends

Now that Texas’ mask mandate is ending, florist Lucy Alanis is reconsidering a rare treat she allowed herself in Dallas during the coronavirus pandemic: the occasional meal at a restaurant.

“I guess I’m a little scared,” said Alanis, 27.

The impact of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott repealing many of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions — tweeting “Texas is OPEN 100%” — began taking shape Wednesday as businesses shed rules, city leaders plotted new safeguards and the state’s 5 million schoolchildren largely remained under orders to keep wearing masks for now. But what daily life in Texas will look like come next week remains unsettled following one of the country’s most dramatic rollbacks, in particular the requirement to wear masks, which health experts say is among the most effective ways to curb the spread of the virus.