Texas Governor Abbott Doubles Covid Health Limits

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Thursday, reiterating his opposition to mask warrants, Covid-related trade restrictions and vaccination requirements and imposing fines of up to $ 1,000 on those who fail to comply not.

The governor also called on state hospitals to provide daily reports on their ability for Texas State Department health departments to send to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The new executive order emphasizes that the way forward rests on personal responsibility rather than government mandates,” Abbott said in a statement. Abbott’s order reiterates and extends previous orders he made penalizing local officials and others for applying various Covid security protocols.

The measure prohibits government agencies from requiring individuals to be vaccinated or provide proof of vaccination. Public and private entities receiving state funding are prohibited from denying entry to people based on their immunization status, but all nursing homes and living facilities can still require vaccines for their residents. .

Abbott incorporated an executive order it first implemented on May 18, which prohibited local governments and school districts from issuing mask warrants. Abbott’s updated ordinance adds that public hospitals, nursing homes and prisons can “continue to use appropriate policies regarding the wearing of face coverings.”

The order also emphasizes removing all public health limits on Texas businesses, encouraging the use of masks in areas with high rates of coronavirus transmission.

“Texans have mastered the safe practices that help prevent and avoid the spread of COVID-19,” Abbott’s statement said. “They have the individual right and responsibility to decide for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses and engage in leisure activities.”