Greg Abbott, the Texas governor who tested positive for the coronavirus this week after being photographed hobnobbing with donors at a packed and maskless GOP gathering, has been trying his hardest to stop schools from introducing mask mandates on campus in recent weeks. However, for the time being at least, his efforts have failed. The Texas Education Agency confirmed Thursday that it won’t enforce Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates until legal challenges against the order are settled. In a public health guidance letter, the TEA said: “Please note, mask provisions of GA-38 are not being enforced as the result of ongoing litigation. Further guidance will be made available after the court issues are resolved.” Even before the guidance was issued, Abbott’s ban was widely ignored, with 48 Texas school districts implementing mask mandates. Late Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court declined to block a restraining order against Abbott’s bans, allowing schools to order students to mask up.
