Earlier this week, the governors of Texas and Mississippi announced separately that they are lifting the mask mandates in their respective state and are allowing businesses to reopen at full capacity, even as the coronavirus continues to spread through communities across the United States.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated during a press conference on Tuesday that he will be issuing a new executive order that recindes most of his prior coronavirus-related social restrictions, including the statewide mask mandate. Abbott had taken a longer time than many state governors to mandate the use of masks in public spaces, waiting until July when new infection rates in the state were climbing at an alarming rate.

"Make no mistake, COVID-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations, and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed," Abbott stated in his address to the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

"Today's announcement does not abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year," Abbott added. "Instead, it is a reminder that each person has a role to play in their own personal aftery and the safety of others."

Abbott also stated that effective March 10, the state will allow all businesses to open at 100% capacity, with businesses allowed to limit capacity or implement additional public health and safety protocols at their own discretion.

In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves announced at about the same time that he will be taking actions similar to Abbott, stating at his own news briefing that he is rescinding all statewide mask mandates and removing restrictions on nearly all businesses.

"Starting [Wednesday], we are lifting all of our county mask mandates and businesses will be able to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules," Reeves tweeted on Tuesday. "Our hospitalizations and case numbers have plummeted, and the vaccines is being rapidly distributed. It is time!"

Abbott and Reeves both cited declining coronavirus infection rates and the increasing availability of effective vaccines as the reason behind their decision to end government mandated social restrictions in their respective state.

Yet, health officials have warned that this is not a time to become complacent as new, highly transmissible COVID variants spread across the country and the decline in new infection rates appears to be plateauing. Those two factors mixed with a lack of public health restrictions may lead to another wave of infections.

President Joe Biden criticized the decisions made by Abbott and Reeves on Wednesday, calling the governors' new executive orders "a big mistake."

"Look, I hope everybody's realized by now these mask make a difference," Biden told White House reporters on Wednesday, quoted by The Washington Post. "We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way it which we're able to get vaccines in people's arms."

"The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking--that, 'In the meantime, everything's fine. Take off your mask. Forget it," Biden added, referring to an extinct species of humans in a way that was meant to be an insult for unintelligent thinking. "It still matters."