UPDATE (5/1): City, county and health officials have amended the recently amended Emergency Directive referenced in this article. Face coverings are mandatory again. All individuals over the age of two are required to wear some form of face covering over their nose and mouth, while outside of their home or residence. Social gatherings of any number of people occurring outside or inside a single household or dwelling unit are prohibited again.

El Paso city and county leaders announced they will be lifting the current Local Emergency Directive to comply with Texas Governor Greg Abbott's recently announced directives designed to slowly reopen the Texas economy.

The amended order effectively ends the stay home requirement as well as some of the more controversial restrictions, most notably the directive against social gatherings and the mandate on face coverings.

Face coverings are still required for all employees while working at essential businesses, Retail-to-Go operations or businesses given the okay to operate at 25% capacity.

“This is an imperfect balancing act between our health and our economy,” Mayor Dee Margo said in a statement. “We will continue to address the public health needs of our community, while abiding by the Governor’s latest Executive Order to re-open Texas.”

Both Margo and El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego strongly urged residents to stay at home, if possible, continue to exercise social distancing, wear face coverings when out in public and avoid large social gatherings. "The worst thing that could happen to us is that we have to retract," El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said during the virtual press conference.

The amended Local Directive goes into effect on Friday, May 1 at 12:01 a.m.

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