Tarrant County extends face mask order through Aug. 31 amid coronavirus pandemic
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley has extended an executive order requiring businesses to enforce face coverings for employees and customers through Aug. 31.
The order, first passed on June 25, reinforces Gov. Greg Abbott’s July 2 statewide order, which requires face masks and limits outdoor gatherings. Abbott’s order did not have an end date. Tarrant County’s local order was set to expire on Monday.
Both the state and local orders are aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, which spiked in Texas in late June and most of July. The state reported 322 coronavirus deaths and 8,800 new cases on Thursday.
Tarrant County reported a single-day high 18 COVID-19 deaths and nearly 600 new cases on Friday.
Whitley’s order notes that “the transmission of COVID-19 has not significantly dissipated and remains a serious threat to the health and safety of the Tarrant County community and additional action is necessary to decrease rates of infection and the number of people admitted to hospitals, ICU, or on ventilators.”
The face mask requirement does not apply if covering the nose and mouth “poses a significant mental or physical health risk to the individual,” or when an individual is “consuming a food or beverage or receiving a service where the wearing of a face covering would impair the performance of the service.”
Businesses are required to post the policy to provide notice to employees and visitors of all health and safety requirements. Failure to implement and follow the order’s guidelines may result in a fine up to $1,000 for each violation.
Estimated active cases over time
Coronavirus daily active case estimates by local counties in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 4:37 PM.
