Several states in the United States have either lifted the mask requirement or have let the mandate expire despite experts’ warning that coronavirus restrictions are still necessary. These states have cited a drop in the number of cases as the reason for lifting curbs, but experts are of the opinion it is too soon to roll back guidelines, more so masks.

Republican state Texas, on Tuesday, became the latest state to roll back all restrictions, allowing businesses to reopen at full capacity next week. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” the Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced. Texas is the largest US state to lift the mask mandate.

Also Read | Know why Texas is lifting mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions

Similar rules were lifted in other states, including Michigan, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Earlier, North Dakota let his state’s mask mandate expire in January. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also said that people no longer had to wear masks in public. Montana’s new Republican governor revoked his Democratic predecessor’s mask mandate last week.

This confidence to lift curbs stems from the roll-out of vaccinations that has boosted confidence and spurred a return to pre-pandemic life in the US. But this spate of reopenings is also a cause for concern with experts saying that the country needed to wait for the vaccination drive to become more widespread and that mutations could be a new threat.

On Monday the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of a “potential fourth surge of cases” if the country did not take precautions.

The US has so far recorded more than 28 million infections and 516,000 deaths related to COVID-19, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University. The country, which boasts of the best health services in the world, ranks ninth in terms of deaths per 100,000 population, behind the UK and Italy.