You could still be affected if you don’t wear a mask in these places in Texas when the mandate expires

SAN ANTONIO – On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas would reopen the companies for 100% on March 10. In addition, Abbott said masks would no longer be imposed in the state.

Abbot’s guideline, Executive Order GA-34, means that cities and counties can no longer enforce the wearing of masks with citations and fines. But it doesn’t mean that masks won’t be needed in many private places, nor does it mean that someone can avoid the consequences if they don’t wear masks where they are needed.

Below is a list of some of the places where masks are still needed, and what officials are saying about possible consequences.

For starters, there are still some places where masks are required by federal law.

Under a federal executive order signed by President Biden on Jan. 20, people are required to wear masks in federal buildings and on federal land. That means masks are required at the Federal Building and Federal Courthouse in San Antonio, as well as the San Antonio Missions.

Masks are also required on public transportation because of a CDC warrant issued Jan. 29.

On January 29, the CDC issued an order requiring travelers and operators in public transportation to wear masks, including planes, subways, buses, and ride-shares.

According to state policy, school districts may also require masks in school. The Texas Education Agency issued new guidelines this week stating that schools should continue to require masks for anyone over the age of 10, but did say local school boards have the authority to change or scrap the policy.

Many business owners announced this week that mask requirements would continue to exist in their facilities. If customers refuse to comply, the companies can legally refuse service and even ask customers to leave. If customers refuse to leave the property, they can be warned, cited or even arrested for violations.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff spoke at Wednesday night’s COVID-19 briefing about criminal offense enforcement.

“If a company calls (law enforcement) and says, ‘This man is infringing on my property and not following the rules that I have, you want to come out and remove him,’ and the sheriff said he would go out and she would delete it, ‘Wolff said.

KSAT contacted the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for more information.

“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office will continue to respond to calls for services regarding complaints of criminal offenses and enforce state law as appropriate,” said a spokesman.

The San Antonio Police Department’s public information office had a similar answer.

“Nothing will change for SAPD in the way we handle these matters. We will respond if a company calls to inform us that someone is refusing to leave. We recognize that companies have the right to refuse their services if the security measures they have taken are not followed. And we want them to know that if someone refuses to leave, we will respond when they ask for our help.

“To clarify, we will not enforce the house rules, but we will deal with any violations of the law that occur for every call we make. We will first warn the person and allow them to leave the premises. If they refuse, the officer will use their sole discretion in the way they proceed, whether for arrest or citation. SAPD officials will continue to use discretion and make arrests based on the likely reason for a violation, as we have always done. “

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