In Whiplash-Inducing Reversal, Abbott Requires Masks In COVID-Ravaged Texas

During a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott holds a new executive order stating travel by road from any location in the state of Louisiana into Texas will require 14-day self quarantine, Sunday, March 29, 2020.  He also announced the US Army Corps of Engineers and the state are putting up a 250-bed field hospital at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas The space can expand to nearly 1,400 beds. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News/Pool)
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 29: During a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott holds a new executive order stating travel by road from any location in the state of Louisiana into Te... AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 29: During a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott holds a new executive order stating travel by road from any location in the state of Louisiana into Texas will require 14-day self quarantine, Sunday, March 29, 2020. He also announced the US Army Corps of Engineers and the state are putting up a 250-bed field hospital at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas The space can expand to nearly 1,400 beds. (Photo by Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In a major reversal, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a statewide rule Thursday requiring masks to be worn in public, but only after the dramatic COVID-19 spike in the state.

Abbott has long resisted taking the kinds of strong public health measures that other COVID-ravaged states have implemented to combat the virus. While he hasn’t been as extreme as some other Republican governors in dismissing the threat of COVID-19 and resisting mitigation strategies, Abbott has until the last few days toed the GOP line that reopening the economy is the top priority.

Then the case counts in Texas began to skyrocket, especially since the Memorial Day reopening.

The move came just two weeks after mayors of large cities hit by surging case counts begged Abbott for the authority to require mask-wearing.

“If you do not have plans to mandate face coverings statewide, we ask that you restore the ability for local authorities to enforce the wearing of face coverings in public venues where physical distancing cannot be practiced,” the mayors of Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso, Arlington, Plano and Grand Prairie asked in the June 16 letter.

At the time, a previous executive order from the governor prohibited localities from using penalties or fines to enforce mask rules.

Ultimately, a day after the mayors’ letter, Abbott gave his blessing for localities to fine businesses that don’t require masks — rather than individuals. Abbott celebrated the odd workaround, saying “there has been a plan in place all along that all that was needed was for local officials to actually read the plan that was issued by the state of Texas.”

The rule applies in counties with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases, a statement from the governor’s office said, and an executive order from the governor lays out some exceptions including people at religious services.

Abbott on Thursday also issued an executive order giving local authorities the power to prohibit gatherings above 10 people.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for spin spin says:

    Abbott’s political obituary was already being written as the actual obituary of Texans were being written. But I’m sure we can expect the every crazier Devil Patrick to come out and say again that “grannie’s gotta die for the dow.”

    And p.s. this is the actual reason why he switched. From the IHME model:

    run this to election day in November, and Texas was looking at 12K or so deaths. You can bet that John Cornyn and Texas republicans were deluging him with angry phone calls.

  2. Reality is just relentless, isn’t it

  3. Too little, too late.

    Abbott’s only saving grace is that he’s not as invested in the culture of death as his Lieutenant Governor.

  4. Trump tweetstorm in which he makes fun of Abbott’s wheelchair in 5, 4, 3…

  5. A Republican who backs away from a big mistake. That wasn’t the usual course of action.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

190 more replies

Participants

Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for jw1 Avatar for douglashh Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for becca656 Avatar for danny Avatar for lastroth Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for tena Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for spin Avatar for maximus Avatar for justruss Avatar for zillacop Avatar for m_00_m Avatar for randome Avatar for visionseeker Avatar for Volvo_Birkenstock Avatar for El_Grupo

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: