Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed an executive order requiring that masks be worn in public in any county with 20 or more coronavirus cases, and has given local authorities the power to enact strict limits on gatherings as the state deals with a massive surge in coronavirus infections.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott arrives to greet Vice President Mike Pence at Love Field in Dallas, Sunday, ... [+] 
The mandate requires wearing a face covering over the nose and mouth in public and applies to all but the state's most rural and least populated counties.
Abbott's executive order also allows for mayors and county judges to limit public gatherings to no more than 10 people.
The new mandate is a major shift for Abbott, who has sought to avoid statewide edicts, saying, "A one-size-fit-all strategy for all parts of the state simply would not work."
But that hadn't stopped Abbott from pleading with residents to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, as the state has continued to set records for new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
Deaths, which tend to lag behind other metrics, haven't significantly spiked in the state, but the 57 deaths reported Wednesday was the highest daily count since May 14.
After having one of the most aggressive reopenings in the nation, Abbott has reluctantly reversed course, shutting down bars and rolling back restaurant capacity to 50% from the 75% level allowed for much of June.
"I urge all Texans to wear a face covering in public, not just for their own health, but for the health of their families, friends and for all our fellow Texans," Abbott said in a statement.
Texas is struggling with one of the fastest coronavirus spreads in the U.S. over the past few weeks, and the state has reported over 5,000 new cases on nine of the past 10 days. Along with states like California, Florida and Arizona, Texas is a major contributor to what's been a record breaking coronavirus surge nationally. On Wednesday, there were over 50,000 documented new coronavirus cases in the U.S. for the first time since the pandemic started.
Houston has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus, and reportedly could soon be the hardest-hit city in the U.S. Its emergency order has now been extended through Aug. 26.
In Austin, the mayor has warned that hospitals there could reach capacity some time this month. Both cities have plans in place to treat coronavirus patients outside of normal hospitals.
Local officials there and in other cities like Dallas and San Antonio have asked Abbott for the ability to reinforce stay-at-home orders.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pleads with Texans to wear masks, but leaves decisions to local leaders (Dallas Morning News)
Texas Has Set A New Coronavirus Hospitalization Record Every Day For 2 Weeks (Forbes)
Local Officials In Texas Ask For Possible Return To Stay-At-Home Orders (Forbes)
I'm a New Orleans-based news reporter for Forbes covering the U.S. South and breaking news. Previously, I wrote for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate covering
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