In an abrupt reversal, Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texans in all counties with 20 or more coronavirus cases to wear face masks in public places. He also authorized limits on public gatherings.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday ordered all Texans to wear face coverings in public, with a limited number of exceptions, a sharp reversal that underscored the severity of the coronavirus outbreak that has surged out of control in Texas.
The executive order, announced the afternoon before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, followed sustained lobbying from leaders in the state’s largest cities, who are mostly Democrats, and came in the face of likely opposition from Republicans in the state, many of whom already chafed at Mr. Abbott’s mandates from Austin.
The Republican governor has increasingly cited face masks as a key step in keeping the coronavirus at bay, but he had repeatedly stopped short of requiring their use until Thursday’s order.
“One of the best ways to keep businesses open, while also slowing the spread, is to wear a face mask like this,” he said in a taped video address from his office, holding a cloth mask in the colors of the Texas flag.
Mr. Abbott said the scale of the outbreak in Texas caused him to act. On Wednesday, the state had 8,100 new cases, its highest single-day total. The average number of people hospitalized for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has tripled since late May, the governor said.
The governor’s order, which goes into effect on Friday, provides for fines of up to $250 per violation after an initial warning, but no jail time. In April, when the state initially appeared to have its outbreak under control, Mr. Abbott had blocked municipalities from imposing fines.
But amid the accelerating rise in cases, the governor changed course. He described Thursday’s order as a necessary step to avoid thrusting the state back into lockdown.
“We need to refocus on slowing the spread, but this time we want to do it without closing down Texas again,” the governor said.
It was unclear how Texans, many of whom regard the decision on mask-wearing to be a matter of personal choice, would react to the order.
