This past Tuesday morning the Republican governor from the great state of Texas, Greg Abbott, announced a ban on government-mandated vaccine passports.
The governor issued an executive order in response to the state of New York becoming the first state to implement a COVID-19 vaccine passport. This executive order blocks any entities or businesses receiving state funds from requiring vaccine documentation. More importantly, the order bans any regulation that would require Texans to show proof of vaccination before getting a product or service.
“Every day, Texans return to normalcy as more people get the COVID vaccine. In fact, this week, Texas will surpass 13 million doses administered,” Abbott says in the announcement in the clip below. “Those shots help slow the spread of COVID, reduce hospitalizations, and reduce fatalities.”
“But, as I have said all along, these vaccines are always voluntary and never forced. Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives,” the governor continued. “That is why I issued an executive order that prohibits government-mandated vaccine passports in Texas. We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health and we will do so without treading on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
Texans shouldn't be required to show proof of vaccination & reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives.
I issued an Executive Order that prohibits government-mandated vaccine passports in Texas.
Don't tread on our personal freedoms. pic.twitter.com/weTbz4FKyH
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 6, 2021
The order does not apply to all entities though. Some places like nursing homes and long-term care facilities are exempt. This exemption is in to allow those facilities to require proof of vaccination as needed to protect their residents.
Texas hasn’t been the only state thinking of banning these ridiculous passports. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a similar order last week.
“It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply participate in normal society,” DeSantis said. “You want to go to a movie theater, should you have to show that? No. You want to go to a game, a theme park? No. So we’re not supportive of that.”
“We always said we wanted to provide it for all but mandate it for none,” he continued. “And that was something that, while it was advised to take particularly if you’re vulnerable, we were not going to force you to do it.”
DeSantis said that vaccine passports would be a significant threat to Americans’ privacy.
“You’re going to do this and, what, give all this information to some big corporation? You want the fox to guard the henhouse? I mean give me a break,” the governor said. “I think this is something that has huge privacy implications. It is not necessary to do.”
