El Paso Judge Says Yes To Masks And No To Governor Greg Abbott

You know how Texas Governor Greg Abbott hates masks and mask mandates? Well, after this afternoon's hearing about El Paso's wish to put a mandate into place, I'll be he doesn't like us that much either. This afternoon, El Paso judge Ruben Morales told Abbott's lawyer that he would not deny the City's application for a temporary injunction. Now, if you're like me, you probably need someone to draw you a picture after that last sentence.

The hearing today means that the City of El Paso got the preliminary injunction they were looking for
against Abbott and that means Dr. Hector Ocaranza's original indoor mask mandate for the entire County of El Paso will be put back into place at midnight on Saturday, September 4. That means that you will need to wear a face covering in public spaces.

Public spaces includes any indoor location including private businesses and governmental facilities. The Diocese of El Paso said a couple of weeks ago that everyone attending Mass or any other event at any Diocese facility will have to wear a face mask. The Diocese is also practicing social distancing at their events including Mass.

City officials say they not only want people to wear a face mask while out in public but we should also be observing health and safety protocols like social distancing, frequently washing hands, and getting the COVID-19 vaccine. We do have a little over 73 percent of the community aged 12 and older fully
vaccinated but because of the Delta variant the numbers of people who are getting breakthrough cases and dying from the Delta variant continue to go up. This isn't the end of the fight for a face mask mandate in El Paso. Abbott and the City of El Paso will be back in court on Thursday, October 7 for a permanent injunction and a declaratory judgment.