Gov. Abbott’s executive order goes into effect

Gov. Abbott’s executive order goes into effect requiring all Texans to wear masks or face coverings in public.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide executive order requiring Texans to wear masks or face coverings in public spaces in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, with few exceptions. The order went into effect on Friday, July 3 at noon.

In the release, Abbott said, “wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

“We have the ability to keep businesses open and move our economy forward so that Texans can continue to earn a paycheck, but it requires each of us to do our part to protect one another—and that means wearing a face covering in public spaces,” he said.

Exceptions to the order

1. Children under the age of 10
2. Any person with a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering
3. Any person consuming food or drink or is seated at a restaurant to eat or drink
4. Any person that is exercising or engaging in physical activities outdoors and is maintaining safe social distancing from people who are not part of their household
5. Any person who is driving alone or with passengers who are in the same household as the driver
6. Any person obtaining a service that requires temporary removal of the covering during security surveillance, screening or need for specific access to the face (like while visiting a bank or obtaining personal care involving the face).
7. Any person in a pool, lake or similar body of water
8. Any person who is voting, assisting a voter, serving as a poll watcher or actively administering an election (but wearing a mask is strongly encouraged)
9. Any person who is actively providing access to religious worship (but wearing a mask is strongly encouraged)
10. Any person while the person is giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience
11. Any person who meets the criteria laid out by the Texas Division of Emergency Management regarding minimal cases of COVID-19 and whose county judge has opted out of the face-covering requirement (but wearing a mask is strongly encouraged)