AUSTIN, Texas — A month after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick faced backlash for suggesting the economy reopen while older people fend for themselves amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Republican feels vindicated.

“I’m sorry to say that I was right on this, and I’m thankful that we are now, Tucker, finally beginning to open up Texas and other states because it’s been long overdue,” Patrick told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday.

“And what I said when I was with you that night, there are more important things than living, and that’s saving this country for my children and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us,” said Patrick, who at age 70 is among the older Americans at higher risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19. “I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but we (have) got to take some risk and get back in the game and get this country back up and running.”

Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday began easing some restrictions he imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, but the Republican also said that public schools should remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

Starting this week, state parks are reopening, businesses can offer “retail to go” and hospitals can resume surgeries, so long as they have enough bed capacity and personal protective equipment should there be a spike in COVID-19 cases.

As of Tuesday, the state reported over 19,400 positive coronavirus cases and 495 deaths.

Patrick said the statistics indicate the country never should have been locked down.

“In Texas we have 29 million people, we have lost 495,” he said. “Every life is valuable, but 500 people out of 29 million and we are locked down and we are crushing the average worker, we are crushing small business, we are crushing the markets, we are crushing this country.”

Public health experts say the low number is because of stringent social distancing efforts, and without them, cases and deaths would have surely been vastly higher.

Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services department, told The Dallas Morning News earlier this month that social distancing has paid off: hospital admissions are rising, but the pace has slowed.

“Everyone’s sacrifice is working,” Huang said. “But people cannot let up.”

First Published: April 22, 2020, 5:52 a.m.