Texas' highest court has temporarily blocked mask mandates issued by local officials in two of the country's largest counties.
The court, which is comprised entirely of elected GOP justices, granted Abbott's request for an emergency ruling to block decisions issued by lower courts that allowed local officials to implement mask mandates in Dallas County and Bexar County, which includes the city of San Antonio.
The state Supreme Court's decision marks a critical moment in the showdown between state and local authorities over a basic pandemic precaution amid a rise in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant. A final ruling is expected to be issued in the coming weeks.
Local officials in both counties have already said they plan to ignore the latest court ruling against mask mandates, citing overwhelmed hospitals and a surge in COVID-19 cases. Partisan tensions have escalated in recent weeks over the issue of mask mandates in schools as schools across the country prepare to open institutions for the fall semester.
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