Texas mayors push to make masks mandatory as coronavirus cases surge

Experts say masks have proven to be the most effective way of preventing transmission of Covid-19 — but many people refuse to wear them

The mayors of the largest cities in Texas have written to Governor Greg Abbott asking him to allow them to mandate the wearing of face masks as the number of new coronavirus cases per day hit another record high.

Texas saw 4,098 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, 1,500 more than the previous peak on 10 June, as the coronavirus surges following the easing of lockdown rules.

The mayors of Arlington, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Houston, Plano and San Antonio sent the bipartisan letter asking if local governments could be allowed to enforce the wearing of face coverings.

The mayors stressed that masks have proven to be the most effective way of preventing transmission of the virus, and yet many people refuse to wear them.

Governor Abbott acknowledged that many Texans have become lax about wearing masks and social distancing. He urged people to take greater personal responsibility for stopping the spread but said he would not require the general public to wear masks.

On Wednesday, officials near San Antonio took the initiative and ordered people to wear face masks in public when social distancing isn’t possible.

Businesses were warned they could face fines of up to $1,000 for failing to comply with county health policies in the next five days. The executive order came from Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg joined Judge Wolff in a press conference to say they are concerned younger people will get infected with Covid-19 and take the virus home to older family members. People younger than 40 are showing the most infections in the area, the mayor said.

“What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community,” Mr Nirenberg said.

In May, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton lashed out at the cities of San Antonio, Dallas and Austin over what he called “unlawful” local orders that are tougher than restrictions prescribed by Mr Abbott, and threatened lawsuits if the cities didn’t back off.

Judge Wolff said he had reached out to Governor Abbott’s chief of staff and assistant chief of staff to notify them of his new executive order but had yet to hear back.

He said he hoped the governor would be supportive of his decision but that attorneys were ready for a legal fight.

Mr Abbott’s spokesman John Wittman said Judge Wolff’s order doesn’t clash with the governor’s executive order.

With reporting from the Associated Press