By Justice Santa Cruz, Skyline Student Life and Politics Correspondent

ALPINE, TX – Sul Ross State University President Pete Gallego said May 23 that all campuses under his purview would follow Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order lifting masking requirements in government facilities.

SRSU’s immediate compliance to the executive order seems like a sharp turn from Gallego’s previous statements concerning the mask policy (https://www.sulross.edu/news/skyline/sul-ross-to-continue-mask-requirements-and-covid-19-protocols-until-foreseeable-future/). But Gallego left it up to students, faculty and staff to wear masks against COVID, and urged tolerance toward those personal decisions on SRSU campuses.

“Please continue to be respectful of others especially and including our students and our visitors, be mindful of others and of your surroundings, and continue to practice those safe hygienic measures.”

Gov.Abbott issued his latest executive order May 25 prohibiting most governmental entities from enforcing a mask policy. “With the medical advancements of vaccines and antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now has the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” said Governor Abbott. “We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100 percent.”

Abbott noted that nearly 5.7 million vaccine shots have been administered to Texans, and the state is now administering close to one million shots each week. The number of positive COVID cases has been the lowest since November.

Thanks to the efforts of the SRSU staff and students, the university has managed to keep positive COVID cases significantly low.