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With approximately a third of the state’s population currently vaccinated, Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order that prohibits all state and local government entities from requiring individuals to wear masks, though the order does not affect some facilities.
Public schools are exempted until June 4, after which both staff and the public can not be required to wear a mask, according to a press release from Abbott’s office. State-supported living centers and government-owned or operated hospitals are not covered under the executive order, nor are adult and juvenile detention facilities.
“We can continue to mitigate #COVID19 while defending Texans' liberty to choose whether or not they mask up,” Abbott said in a tweet regarding the executive order.
The order went into effect May 21, according to the release. Local governments or officials who attempt to subvert the order by requiring masks could face a fine of up to $1,000.
"The Lone Star State continues to defeat COVID-19 through the use of widely available vaccines, antibody therapeutic drugs and safe practices utilized by Texans in our communities," Abbott was quoted as saying in the release.
While approximately 30% of Texans have received the coronavirus vaccine, the majority of the state’s children are still unvaccinated, according to reporting by Axios. However, vaccination for even those between the ages of 12 and 15 was only recently authorized.
"Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities,” Abbott was quoted as saying in the release.
The Hill reported that Texas had previously stood out as the first state to lift its mask mandate, though the move received a critical response in some corners. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently advised that vaccinated individuals don’t need to be required to wear masks.