<Anchor> As the
number of corona19 confirmed cases decreased slightly due to vaccination in the United States, the states of Texas and Mississippi lifted the mandate to wear masks.
But health experts warned that the move could spread the mutant virus rapidly.
This is Kim Yoon-soo, correspondent in Washington.
<Reporter> The
states of Texas and Mississippi in the US lifted the requirement to wear a mask from yesterday (3rd).
All stores and businesses have also removed the number of personnel restrictions and made them operate normally as before the coronavirus outbreak.
[Governor Reeves/Mississippi: All counties in our state lift the mandatory masks and allow all business locations to operate with full capacity.] The
two governors argued that the number of new corona19 cases and inpatients decreased as reasons for mitigation. I heard.
However, there are still criticisms that it is a hasty measure in the situation where the number of new confirmed cases exceeds 50,000 each day and 2,000 people die each day.
President Biden also pointed out that it was a big mistake.
Texas also took the lead in the summer of last year, restarting the economy, and then became the epicenter of the re-proliferation of Corona 19.
[Biden/US President: This is a very big mistake.
I hope everyone will realize that wearing a mask has made a big difference.] In
particular, there is growing concern that deregulation could provide large petri dishes for the spread of the mutant virus.
[Assisi Ja/US Professor at Brown University: Mutant viruses have begun to replace existing viruses.
With more mutant viruses, deregulation will surely see a great spread.] The
US media pointed out that the deregulation governors all belong to the Republican Party and that the science-political confrontation continues even after President Trump left. .