Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new order bans local governments from issuing mask, vaccine mandates - KSAT San Antonio
On Thursday, Abbott responded with a new executive order that does the opposite — further removing tools from local governments to enact policies that public health experts say would help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including mask requirements, capacity limits and vaccine mandates.In a statement, Abbott said the executive order “emphasizes that the path forward relies on personal responsibility rather than government mandates.â€.Under the executive order, governmental entities cannot “compel any individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine administered under an emergency use authorization.†Read the full order at the bottom of this article.The new order removes the ability of local officials to reduce business capacity if COVID-19 hospitalizations exceeded 15% of total hospital capacity in the region for seven consecutive days.The executive order also makes clear that governmental entities, including school districts, cannot require face masks or enact other restrictions.