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Statement from Harris County Judge Hidalgo on New Statewide Face Covering Mandate

Today, Judge Hidalgo released the following statement regarding the statewide executive order mandating the use of face coverings in public spaces: 

“I welcome the ability to make face coverings enforceable in Harris County. We can’t lose sight of the fact that, due to the rapid increase in hospitalizations here, already our hospitals have exceeded their base ICU capacity and are having to implement surge protocols. Every tool that our county is allowed to use to contain this crisis saves lives and gets us closer to a day in which we can sustainably coexist with the virus.

We have no time to waste in Harris County -- the virus is not responding to incrementalism, and we are quickly running out of time. I continue to advocate for an enforceable stay home order in Harris County, so that we can bring the curve down and give ourselves a shot at reopening successfully. I’m afraid that waiting will only lead to more lives lost, prolong the economic pain, and bring about further crises.”