Texas Mandates Mask Wearing

TOPLINE

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed an executive order requiring public mask wearing in Texas for any county with 20 or more coronavirus cases, and has given local authorities the power to enact strict limits on gatherings as the state deals with a massive surge in coronavirus infections.

KEY FACTS

KEY BACKGROUND

Texas has dealt with one of the fastest coronavirus spreads in the U.S. over the past few weeks, and the state has reported over 5,000 new cases on nine of the past ten days. Along with states like California, Florida and Arizona, Texas is a major contributor to what’s been a record breaking coronavirus surge nationally. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported over 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since the pandemic started.

CRITICAL QUOTE

“I urge all Texans to wear a face covering in public, not just for their own health, but for the health of their families, friends and for all our fellow Texans,” Abbott said in a statement.

This is a developing story.