Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday ordered residents of counties with 20 or more Covid-19 cases to wear a mask in public, according to his office.
"We have the ability to keep businesses open and move our economy forward so that Texans can continue to earn a paycheck, but it requires each of us to do our part to protect one another -- and that means wearing a face covering in public spaces," Abbott said in a statement.
The order takes effect Friday at 12:01 p.m. CT.
Cases on the rise: The directive comes as Texas, like other states, sees a jump in cases. There have been more than 175,000 cases reported in the state -- the second most populous in the US -- since the pandemic began.
Just days before the July Fourth weekend the United States set another high for new coronavirus cases and at least 23 states were pausing reopening plans to combat mounting infections.
