Business owners await City of Austin mask mandate decision

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin's masking mandate is set to expire May 18. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Escott will be announcing new recommendations to the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday. 

The CDC even announced that you can go without a mask. If you are vaccinated. But some doctors in Texas worry that it may be too soon to do away with them.

"The masking is still very important because we don't know who is vaccinated in a large group of people. We aren't going to go around asking, are you vaccinated?" said Dr. E. Linda Villareal, president of Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Villareal believes everyone should continue to mask in certain situations until the right amount of people are vaccinated.

"Masking needs to continue until we have achieved what is being called herd immunity. When you are around close intimate family and friends that you know have gotten their vaccine, it's ok to gather and it may be ok to not mask," said Villareal.

Even if the city lifts the mask mandate, some businesses say they will weigh the risk and benefits heavily before making a decision.

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"We are doing our best to keep this place clean, sanitized, asking customers to wear masks. By that point it will be up to the owners to decide how we go forward," said Steven White, manager at Mount Playmore.

Ultimately the masking decision will be left up to private businesses. In the meantime, Dr. Villareal knows what she will continue to do.

"If I were unable to get the vaccine, I'd be very worried because you have no control over the public," said Villareal.