Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) on Monday issued an executive order banning so-called “vaccine passports”, saying that a system for tracking those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 violates citizens’ rights.
“Every day, Texans are returning to normal life as more people receive the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. But, as I said all along, these vaccines are always voluntary and never forced,” Abbott said in announcing the executive order.
“The government should not demand that any Texans show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to make their daily lives,” he added. “That’s why I issued an executive order banning government-required vaccine passports in Texas. We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health – and we will do so without stepping on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
Abbott has been criticized in recent weeks for lifting a mask order across the state and for dealing with a major snowstorm that has left residents without power and heat for days.
Another Republican, governor Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis Florida’s Democratic Mayor considers the ’60 Minutes’ report on the state’s vaccine launch to be ‘intentionally untrue’. Florida, last week, promised to take similar executive action to prevent companies from requiring vaccine passports before providing services to customers.
“We have always said that we wanted to provide this for everyone, but oblige no one,” said DeSantis. “And that was something that, although we were advised to take it especially if you are vulnerable, we were not going to force you to do that.”
DeSantis called this “completely unacceptable for the government or the private sector to impose on you the requirement that you show proof of the vaccine to simply participate in normal society.”
On Monday, Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciOvernight Health Care: 46 cases of COVID-19 linked to a covered bar event in rural Illinois | CDC affirms risk of transmission of COVID-19 on surfaces 1 in 10,000 | Fauci suggests there is no federal mandate on vaccine passports Twitter says he mistakenly suspended Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account for the second time Fauci says the federal government will not impose vaccine passports MORE, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, said the federal government will not require documentation of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“I doubt that the federal government is the main driver of the vaccine passport concept,” said Fauci. “They may be involved in ensuring that things are done in a fair and equitable manner, but I doubt that the federal government is the main element of this.”