210303 Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivers an announcement in Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Lubbock, Texas. Image Credit: AP

Washington: Texas Governor Greg Abbott lifted a state mask mandate on Tuesday and said he was authorizing businesses restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic to open “100 per cent.”

“Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills,” Abbott said in a speech to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. “This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100 per cent.”