Gov of TX issues mask order!?!

[BSHII]

Where businesses require masks, I honor that requirement when I go in. But the result is that I don't go inside businesses unless I absolutely must.

But wearing one outside is completely pointless and I refuse to do it. And I have no idea what "an outdoor public space, wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household" is supposed to mean. And I'm a lawyer.

So I don't plan on wearing masks outside. In the unlikely event an officer actually writes me a ticket, I intend to plead not guilty and take the case to trial. Perhaps they forgot that, in Texas, we have a right to a jury trial even for fine-only misdemeanors. So I hope they've considered that, in order to fine someone who isn't wearing a mask, they may need to stick at least 12 citizens in a room for jury selection (assuming these are tried in JP or municipal court).

As a very liberal mediator suggested to me recently that the only people who are going to show up for jury duty any time soon are the people who, in his words, "don't believe in Covid." I don't know if I agree with that, but I do think the people who are most freaked out about coronavirus are likely to find an excuse not to show up. I suspect the jury panel won't be populated with too many people who are super-animated about mask wearing.

[snapcap45]

I'm at the point now where I am done with city life. I think I'm going to move to a rural area of Texas where the next closest person is five miles away just so I don't have to deal with all the covid madness. Don't need a mask when there aint no one around for miles.

[swilkes]

So is this mask thing policy or law? Is if a felony or a misdemeanor? If it is just policy do I really have to id if I am doing nothing illegal?

[The Annoyed Man]

Unfortunately young people and protesters don't feel the need to wear a mask. I'm 68 wife is 67 we don't want to contact the virus. Our grandson was a preemie and had lots of problems in the ICU, we want to see him and hug him, God forbid we spread the virus. Yes we stay home and when we have to go out we wear a mask.

I’m required (by this edict) to wear a mask all day long at work. I hate it. It’s extremely uncomfortable and suffocating. I do it because it’s a job requirement now, but I hate it. Back when COVID-19 first became a nat'l health issue and even before the lockdowns began, I had voluntarily started carrying masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers in my car......NOT because I wanted to use them all the time, but because I don’t have the energy to fight with Karen. So, when ever it seemed socially appropriate, I wore the mask. Whenever it didn’t, I didn’t. But here is where peak political manipulation starts:

Californians are still free to attend their house of worship. But they’re forbidden from singing or chanting.

Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/healt ... rylink=cpy

So far, Gavin Newsom hasn’t announced that this SAME standard ALSO applies to shouting protestors at rallies/riots.....because that’s his constituency base.

I hope that Texans never submit to this kind of nonsense.....but I’m not holding my breath.....

[The Annoyed Man]

Every person in Texas shall wear a face covering over the nose and mouth when inside a commercial entity or other building or space open to the public, or when in an outdoor public space, wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household; provided, however, that this face-covering requirement does not apply to the following.....

So it's only required if you don't distance?

The little room I work in is barely 6 ft on a side, as measured by my eyeballs. By default, anytime there is a 2nd person in the room, we are less than 6 ft apart, and most of the time we are standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder. And some of these people do not appear to meet my standards for personal hygiene.....and I’m actually holding their hands in mine.

I wash my hands a lot.

[flechero]

Every person in Texas shall wear a face covering over the nose and mouth when inside a commercial entity or other building or space open to the public, or when in an outdoor public space, wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household; provided, however, that this face-covering requirement does not apply to the following.....

So it's only required if you don't distance?

The little room I work in is barely 6 ft on a side, as measured by my eyeballs. By default, anytime there is a 2nd person in the room, we are less than 6 ft apart, and most of the time we are standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder. And some of these people do not appear to meet my standards for personal hygiene.....and I’m actually holding their hands in mine.

I wash my hands a lot.

Yup, I get that there are times and places we can't avoid others in close proximity but I was trying to verify that the mask order was not as I heard on the news....reported as mandatory outside your home, period. I spend enough time away from home but not in close proximity to others that I wanted to verify I wasn't subject to the order under those circumstances.

[chasfm11]

We were told that the purpose of the restrictions was to flatten the curve, to avoid overwhelming the hospitals. OK, we did that. Now, I'm not sure what the goal is. No new cases? I'm not sure what the goal of the restrictions could be. I'm not aware of a single place where the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed.

The possible "next steps" are not conspiracy theory. Dr. Fauci and others have already talked about them. So here is the question: which of them is a bridge too far? The precedent for meeting them is already in place. You cannot go to stores or be in public places without a mask.

1. Getting a vaccine?
2. Carrying a certification for the vaccine?
3. Getting an implanted chip to prove that you have been given the vaccine?

[cyphertext]

We were told that the purpose of the restrictions was to flatten the curve, to avoid overwhelming the hospitals. OK, we did that. Now, I'm not sure what the goal is. No new cases? I'm not sure what the goal of the restrictions could be. I'm not aware of a single place where the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed.

Really?

https://www.khou.com/article/news/healt ... d4c5f98457

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoy ... d2eedd7a55

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... li=BBnb7Kz

The face covering mandate seems sensible to me. We are seeing numbers of hospitalizations that are much higher (6 to 7x) than they were when the economy was shut down. The "flatten the curve" theory was never just a few weeks and done, as you can see from the spike we now have. I'm not saying that keeping the economy shut down is the solution... Our businesses must be open and allow people to make a living. But in order for that to happen, we have to take precautions to try to control the spread of this virus. We should have been wearing masks as businesses first started opening.

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

[chasfm11]

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl ... po=34.1146

[cyphertext]

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl ... po=34.1146

Would you care to share what you think supports your view that we should not be wearing masks from that report? No one has claimed a mask is a 100% solution to stopping the virus. It is just another tool in the tool box to be used with distancing, hand washing, etc. It is like a home security system, built of layers. You may have signs warning against trespassing, beware of dog, or house protected by alarm, cameras and outdoor lighting as deterrents. Then you have fencing, locks, alarm system, and maybe a large dog as physical barriers. All of these things work together to keep your home safe, just as social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a face covering reduce the transmission of Covid-19 and other diseases.

[TreyHouston]

We were told that the purpose of the restrictions was to flatten the curve, to avoid overwhelming the hospitals. OK, we did that. Now, I'm not sure what the goal is. No new cases? I'm not sure what the goal of the restrictions could be. I'm not aware of a single place where the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed.

Really?

https://www.khou.com/article/news/healt ... d4c5f98457

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoy ... d2eedd7a55

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... li=BBnb7Kz

The face covering mandate seems sensible to me. We are seeing numbers of hospitalizations that are much higher (6 to 7x) than they were when the economy was shut down. The "flatten the curve" theory was never just a few weeks and done, as you can see from the spike we now have. I'm not saying that keeping the economy shut down is the solution... Our businesses must be open and allow people to make a living. But in order for that to happen, we have to take precautions to try to control the spread of this virus. We should have been wearing masks as businesses first started opening.

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

About 18% emergency room is covid. The rest is people who let whatever illness go too long without treatment. Also, emergency rooms treat people with no insurance, ie the unemployed... Don’t take things for face value

[cyphertext]

We were told that the purpose of the restrictions was to flatten the curve, to avoid overwhelming the hospitals. OK, we did that. Now, I'm not sure what the goal is. No new cases? I'm not sure what the goal of the restrictions could be. I'm not aware of a single place where the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed.

Really?

https://www.khou.com/article/news/healt ... d4c5f98457

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoy ... d2eedd7a55

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... li=BBnb7Kz

The face covering mandate seems sensible to me. We are seeing numbers of hospitalizations that are much higher (6 to 7x) than they were when the economy was shut down. The "flatten the curve" theory was never just a few weeks and done, as you can see from the spike we now have. I'm not saying that keeping the economy shut down is the solution... Our businesses must be open and allow people to make a living. But in order for that to happen, we have to take precautions to try to control the spread of this virus. We should have been wearing masks as businesses first started opening.

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

About 18% emergency room is covid. The rest is people who let whatever illness go too long without treatment. Also, emergency rooms treat people with no insurance, ie the unemployed... Don’t take things for face value

The articles are not about ER visits. They are about beds, no capacity. The articles are stating capacity.

[BSHII]

So is this mask thing policy or law? Is if a felony or a misdemeanor? If it is just policy do I really have to id if I am doing nothing illegal?

The governor is relying on chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code, which governs disasters. Under section 418.012, the governor, during a disaster, “may issue executive orders, proclamations, and regulations” which “have the force and effect of law.” Under 418.173, the governor may make violation of an “emergency management plan” or an order under the plan an offense with a penalty up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, which would be a misdemeanor.

So the answer according to the governor is the mask order is law and violation of it is a misdemeanor. However, I question whether the order is within the scope of the governor’s powers under Chapter 418 and whether the mask order is an “emergency management plan.” I also question its constitutionality: for one, I think it violates due process because it is unconstitutionally vague.

[K.Mooneyham]

So is this mask thing policy or law? Is if a felony or a misdemeanor? If it is just policy do I really have to id if I am doing nothing illegal?

The governor is relying on chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code, which governs disasters. Under section 418.012, the governor, during a disaster, “may issue executive orders, proclamations, and regulations” which “have the force and effect of law.” Under 418.173, the governor may make violation of an “emergency management plan” or an order under the plan an offense with a penalty up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, which would be a misdemeanor.

So the answer according to the governor is the mask order is law and violation of it is a misdemeanor. However, I question whether the order is within the scope of the governor’s powers under Chapter 418 and whether the mask order is an “emergency management plan.” I also question its constitutionality: for one, I think it violates due process because it is unconstitutionally vague.

I certainly agree with you that the order should have been written better, at minimum. This virus, from everything I've read (and that's a lot) is NOT like the measles. It does NOT hang airborne for hours, lurking and waiting for someone to breath it in. It's contained in the droplets that get sprayed out when people are coughing, sneezing, or talking. So, I agree that wearing a mask outdoors, when not in close proximity to anyone, is flat out useless and represents massive overkill. It only makes any sense in enclosed spaces and in gatherings, according to all the information about the virus.

[03Lightningrocks]

We were told that the purpose of the restrictions was to flatten the curve, to avoid overwhelming the hospitals. OK, we did that. Now, I'm not sure what the goal is. No new cases? I'm not sure what the goal of the restrictions could be. I'm not aware of a single place where the hospitals are close to being overwhelmed.

Really?

https://www.khou.com/article/news/healt ... d4c5f98457

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoy ... d2eedd7a55

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... li=BBnb7Kz

The face covering mandate seems sensible to me. We are seeing numbers of hospitalizations that are much higher (6 to 7x) than they were when the economy was shut down. The "flatten the curve" theory was never just a few weeks and done, as you can see from the spike we now have. I'm not saying that keeping the economy shut down is the solution... Our businesses must be open and allow people to make a living. But in order for that to happen, we have to take precautions to try to control the spread of this virus. We should have been wearing masks as businesses first started opening.

Why are we seeing the spike now? Some say Memorial Day gatherings, some say protests, some say bars. I have a feeling that all of these may have contributed. My neighbor and his whole family was very active in local area protests, and he told me yesterday that they are having some symptoms. A guy that my son works with is being tested because his grandmother tested positive. Another friend of mine posted on FB that she and her daughter have tested positive... Two weeks ago, I didn't know anybody who had tested positive for this.

Believe the propoganda from the deep state if you want but here are the facts. This is the Houston trauma area.

Trauma Service Area: Q
Population Estimate 2020 6,688,587
Total Staffed Hospital Beds 13,224
Available Hospital Beds 2,067
Available ICU Beds 128
Available Ventilators 1,289
Lab-Confirmed COVID-19 Patients in Hospital 2,257

There are over 13 thousand hospital beds. Of those only 2257 are covid patients. That means roughly NINE THOUSAND beds have some other reason for being occupied. That is FAR from being over whelmed! The deep state is playing us! No getting around this fact! When this all started they made out like the whole darned hospital system would be over flowing. Turned out to be not true! But instead of admitting to the extreme over reaction, the deep state decided to use this as a means of trampling Americans freedoms. The government is using irrational fear to keep you down. Plain and simple. Covid is contagious but not even close to the risk of illness or death they originally claimed. The VAST Majority of people will have a few minor symptoms and go on with life.