Texas county OVERRULES Gov. Greg Abbott and issues mask mandate in Houston schools as Indian 'Delta' variant wreaks havoc: 'We have no choice'
A Democratic Texas official in the US's third most populous county has overruled the Republican governor's ban on mask mandates, and says students in Harris County schools will have to wear a mask. Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order last month banning mask and Covid-19 vaccination mandates, declaring that it would promote 'individual right and responsibility' in the Lone Star State. But Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo - whose role is equivalent to an executive position like a mayor, rather than a judicial one - announced Thursday that all students in schools and childcare centers from Pre-K to 12th grade to wear a mask in school. Harris County includes the Houston Independent School District - the state's largest district - which has 276 schools and 196,943 students. It came as the Indian 'Delta' variant wreaks havoc on the area. In Harris County, there are more than 32,000 active cases, largely brought on by the highly contagious variant.