Dallas and Austin public schools will require masks in defiance of governor's directive. Houston is probably next.

Houston public school
(Image credit: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images)

The superintendents of the Dallas Independent School District and Austin Independent School District announced Monday that staff, students, and visitors at Dallas and Austin public schools will be required to wear face masks, effective this week. The Houston Independent School District board will vote on a mask requirement later this week. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order in July barring public schools and other government entities from mandating masks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics have advised that all people in K-12 schools wear masks indoors. Texas is one of a half-dozen states that have ordered schools to disregard that advice, even as COVID-19's Delta variant has sent case numbers and hospitalizations rising sharply. The Delta variant also appears to spread more easily to children. Children under 12 aren't yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.