Mask On

Texas governor orders mandatory face masks as COVID-19 cases hit all-time high

Face coverings are now mandatory in the state of Texas.

As hospitalizations across the state are soaring due to COVID-19, Gov. Greg Abbott is now requiring face coverings for the state of Texas. On Thursday, July 2, Abbott issued an executive order requiring face coverings in any county with more than 20 COVID-19 cases.

The new statewide order goes into effect at 12:01 pm on Friday, July 3. Face masks were already mandatory in the state's biggest metro areas, including Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston.

Abbott noted that hospitalizations due to COVID-19 cases have tripled across the state in just the past week alone. "These spikes are not just limited to just the big cities," Abbott said. "More than 91 [Texas] counties have had record-high numbers in just the past three days. All together these numbers reveal a very stark reality: COVID-19 is not going away. In fact, it's getting worse."

On July 1 alone, the state recorded more than 8,000 new cases of COVID-19.

"I know wearing a face covering is not the convenient thing to do, but I also know that wearing a face covering will help us to keep Texas open for business and it will help Texans earn the paycheck they need," Abbott said in a video address. "I also know that not taking action to slow the spread will cause COVID-19 to spread even worse, risking people's lives and ultimately closing more businesses."

Abbott never said the word "mask" during the seven-minute video, instead referring to them as "face coverings." He also noted that they are among the most effective ways to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Texans do not need to wear a face covering:

if they are younger than 10 years old
if they have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask
while eating, drinking, or sitting at a restaurant to eat or drink
while exercising outdoors
while outdoors and maintaining six feet of distance from someone not in their household
while driving alone or with people in their household
while obtaining a service that requires temporary removal of the face covering for security surveillance, screening, or a need for specific access to the face
while swimming
while voting or administering an election
if providing or engaged in religious worship (though it's highly encouraged)
while giving a speech or broadcast

Law enforcement have the authority to enforce the order, says Abbott, who compared it to police enforcing seat belt laws. Those caught without a mask will be issued a warning after their first offense. Subsequent offenses could be subject to penalties not to exceed $250, but he stressed that no one can be placed in jail for not wearing a face covering.

In addition to face coverings, the governor issued a proclamation giving mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on some outdoor gatherings of over 10 people.

"Everyone," said Abbott, "needs to do their part to slow the spread."

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Hold Your Horses

San Antonio City Council considers plan to phase out horse-drawn carriages

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A scant majority of San Antonians like the idea of ending the practice.

In a special session on Thursday, October 31, the San Antonio City Council will deliberate on possibly phasing out horse-drawn carriages. A proposal called "A Just Transition from Horse Drawn Carriages" has led to a one-to-three-year plan for replacing the horses with electric carriages.

An early project proposal in November of 2022 — written by District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran — laid out concerns for the horses' wellbeing, quoting the Animal Welfare Institute. Concerns included exposure to traffic and pollution, long periods standing and walking on hard surfaces, and extreme weather, among other things. In addition to the effect on horses, the request also mentioned environmental effects from slowed traffic.

It proposed completely stopping any new use of horse drawn carriages and letting any existing permits expire. The request also mentioned pedicabs as an alternative alongside the electric carriages, but the pedicabs seem to have fallen away from the public discourse.

Following up on the proposal, a city survey that concluded in August of 2024 found that of 50,476 respondents, a scant majority (51.98 percent) said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." Other options like changing hours and location of horse-drawn carriage use were unpopular, and 29.01 percent said they wanted to continue with the current system of use.

A majority of respondents (53.83 percent) had never ridden in a horse drawn carriage at all, and an strong majority of those survey takers cited the treatment of the horse as the reason they hadn't tried it. Those who had ridden on the carriages mostly liked it for the "historical and cultural experience," with examples including feeling nostalgic and learning about San Antonio's history.

The survey did not disclose how many of the people who rode on the carriages were tourists, but tourists made up 21.66 percent of respondents.

In addition to the survey, council members also unanimously voted on August 19, 2024, to have a plan drafted by city staff that would phase out the horse-drawn carriages in one to three years.

The only item on the special session agenda (aside from approval of minutes) is a briefing and possible action on the proposal, meaning that a decision is not guaranteed.

More information about city council meetings is available at sa.gov.

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