Face masks are back in Dallas after a mandate issued by county Judge Clay Jenkins Wednesday afternoon that requires "any commercial entity providing goods or services directly to the public" to create a health and safety policy that includes universal indoor masking.
The new mandate breaks down as this, per NBC DFW:
-All teachers, staff, students and visitors at any K-12 public school or child care center must wear a mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Children under two years old are exempt. Schools and child care centers must create a health and safety policy that includes the universal indoor masking.
-"Any commercial entity providing goods or services directly to the public" must create a health and safety policy that includes required mask wearing indoors. A sign stating the policy must be visible to anyone in the business or other commercial entity. Any commercial entity that does not follow the order within three days could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.
-All employees, contractors and visitors in a Dallas County building must wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. The order does not apply to city-owned buildings.
Dallas County school districts that have announced a change to their mask policy include:
-Cedar Hill ISD
-Dallas ISD
-DeSoto ISD
-Duncanville ISD
-Garland ISD
-Grand Prairie ISD
-Irving ISD
-Lancaster ISD
-Richardson ISD
And the Dallas County schools that have not announced a change to their mask policy include:
-Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, encouraged
-Coppell ISD, optional
-Highland Park ISD, recommended
-Mesquite ISD, recommended
-Sunnyvale ISD
The mask mandate does not have an end date in sight, though the temporary restraining order granted by 116th Civil District Court Judge Tonya Parker against Governor Greg Abbott expires August 24.
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