Staff Report
Following Governor Greg Abbott's Executive Order (GA-34) to lift the mask mandate in Texas, Hays County officials encourage residents to continue practicing safety precautions as COVID-19 has not disappeared.
Effective on Wednesday, March 10, all businesses of any type may open to 100% capacity. This order also ends the statewide mask mandate in Texas. Businesses may still limit capacity or implement additional safety protocols at their own discretion.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra called the mandate "premature and reckless," since the county is still only receiving fewer than 2,000 vaccines -- a county that has over 300,000 residents.
"We must continue to follow the science," Becerra said. "This is not behind us."
Alex Villalobos, Hays County Emergency Coordinator, added that the county should still follow CDC practices and "not allow our guard down," even though face masks will not be required.
District 45 Representative Erin Zwiener posted on her official Facebook page that her team is still wearing face masks in the office, despite Abbott's recent order.
"Please note the masks still on our faces," Zwiener posted. "Masks are one of our best tools to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ours aren't going anywhere. I’m appalled that the governor has taken one of the last tools our communities, businesses, and schools have to encourage compliance with their own recommendations and rules. He’s sending a dangerous mixed message just at the moment we’re finally gaining an advantage on COVID-19."
If COVID-19 hospitalizations in any of the 22 hospital regions in Texas get above 15% of the hospital bed capacity in that region for seven straight days, a County Judge in that region may use COVID-19 mitigation strategies. However, County Judges may not impose jail time for not following COVID-19 orders nor may any penalties be imposed for failing to wear a face mask. If restrictions are imposed at a County level, those restrictions may not include reducing capacity to less than 50% for any type of entity.
[button link="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTAzMDIuMzYyMjE3NTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL29wZW4udGV4YXMuZ292L3VwbG9hZHMvZmlsZXMvb3JnYW5pemF0aW9uL29wZW50ZXhhcy9FTy1HQS0zNC1vcGVuaW5nLVRleGFzLXJlc3BvbnNlLXRvLUNPVklELWRpc2FzdGVyLUlNQUdFLTAzLTAyLTIwMjEucGRmIn0.Dq0ScGAYHbCXmBRLdAMcj-ha0GUPIErOHmPfAYGx4a4/s/526033595/br/98845521364-l" color="default"]View the Governor's Executive Order[/button]
