Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning state government entities from enforcing the so-called ‘vaccine passports.” According to the governor, this ban would apply to “any public or private entity that is receiving or will receive public funds through any means, including grants, contracts, loans, or other disbursement of taxpayer funds.” The order reads: “Whereas, an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status is private health information, and no governmental entity should compel disclosure of this information by mandating a so-called ‘vaccine passport’ for COVID-19 or by otherwise conditioning receipt of services on an individual’s COVID-19 status.”
Abbott said in a statement announcing the order: “We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health — and we will do so without treading on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a similar executive order banning businesses from requiring customers to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get service and barred any government agency in Florida from issuing such documentation to provide proof of vaccinations.
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