Regulations in place because of COVID-19 seem to be not just softening, but being completely tossed out very quickly as more of the country gets immunized.

Fifteen states are no longer requiring masks for routine behavior, such as visiting restaurants or shopping.

Texas is getting a lot of the headlines, and we are glad someone is willing to be the test state to see what happens as they open up for trade and tourism.

Florida will also be a big testing ground as they welcome spring-break college students with open arms in the next 30 days.

Texas is being a leader in testing this “opening-up” idea. But right on the heels of the disaster they just experienced — with loss of their power grid, nightmarish stories of $10,000 household electric bills and people without heat, light and water for as much as 10 days — this is an odd time to step out into the forefront of change with risk.

New York and its very talkative Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo are sheltering in place as he hides from an assortment of scandals. Cuomo might be best off to do fewer TV talk-shows and focus on social distancing from women in their 20s.

Mississippi has never been considered a prime location for other states to want to mimic, but they have joined with Texas in ridding themselves of face masks.

So where is Pennsylvania? Gov. Wolf has played monkey-see and monkey-do with New York’s Cuomo throughout the pandemic. Usually they have been right in step, but maybe Wolf sees Cuomo as a dangerous partner now that Cuomo has been accused of not telling the truth about COVID-19 numbers, unless they make him look heroic.

We are thrilled to see Texas make this move. We hope Wolf doesn’t decide to just blindly follow the lead just to take the heat off.

We waited this long. It only makes sense to gradually but certainly open Pennsylvania back up. Business owners will be more successful opening up over a period of a few weeks rather than just jumping in with guns blazing.

In many cases, we will have to find new employees, because the government is paying the others so well to stay home. We have been digging this hole for a full year and we can’t climb out overnight or without a ladder.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to continue wearing our masks part of the time, particularly in close quarters. The day “masks not required” makes headlines in Pennsylvania will be a great day, but let’s be careful as we do it.

— RV