SAN ANTONIO — At a press conference Thursday afternoon, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg summed up his response to a new mask mandate from Texas Governor Greg Abbott in three words: "It's about time."
Abbott issued an order requiring all Texans residing in counties with more than 20 cases to wear a face mask while in a commercial space or public buildings or when in an outdoor setting that does not allow for 6 feet of physical distancing.
The order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. on July 3. The move comes after weeks of surging daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalization in Texas.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff issued an order on June 17 requiring businesses to mandate customers and employees wear masks when within six feet of each other. Nirenberg followed suit, amending the city's emergency order to fall under the same guideline.
The judge had stated in the past that the county's order put the onus on local businesses to require a mask but was as drastic a measure the county could implement based on the state's orders.
Wolff said the governor's proclamation will "take the pressure" away from local establishments to enforce mask-wearing.
"We put a great deal of burden on our employers -- I know firsthand that can get out of hand. And now with the order by the governor, that's going to help take the pressure off the businesses today, where they're not the last line of enforcement. So, I know that the mayor and county, we're going to do everything we can to make sure people out there are obeying what the governor said."
For weeks, Abbott has resisted a statewide mandate, saying that it would be unfair to require masks in counties where coronavirus is not spreading.
But as cases and hospitalizations have continued to rise, the governor has taken small steps to try to stop the spread.
On June 26, Abbott ordered bars and rafting businesses to close and restaurants to revert back to 50% capacity due to the rise in cases.
Nirenberg called the latest order a "good step," but reiterated the challenge ahead as cases continue their exponential rise in Bexar County.
"There is going to be a constant effort to look behind us on the things that we could have done as a state, as a nation," Nirenberg said. We've got to stay focused on what we need to do going forward, so we'll count this one as a good step that the governor has taken."
WFAA contributed to this story.