Texas has registered more than 175,000 cases of coronavirus
Houston:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, issued a decree on Thursday requiring him to cover his face in public spaces as the state records a record number of new infections.
The order, issued before the July 4 holiday weekend, applies to counties with at least 20 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Abbott’s office said in a statement.
The governor also prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people and imposed a social distance of six feet (two meters).
“We have the ability to keep businesses open and move our economy forward so that Texans can continue to earn a salary, but that requires each of us to do our part to protect each other – and that means wearing a face covers in public spaces. “said Abbott, citing the effectiveness of masks in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
“Limiting the size of group gatherings will strengthen Texas’ ability to fight this virus and protect Texans,” he said.
Abbott’s orders came after conditions in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, have eased sharply in the past two weeks.
Texas reported a record 8,076 cases of coronavirus in 24 hours on Wednesday, 1,000 more than the previous day’s record.
Overall, Texas has recorded more than 175,000 cases of coronavirus.
Abbott’s orders came as many Republican officials, who were initially lukewarm about the importance of wearing masks, began to publicly call for face coverings as the United States saw mounting news infections.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
