Story at a glance
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
- The Republican governor is vehemently opposed to mask mandates.
- Abbott is isolating in the Governor’s Mansion.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, his office said in a statement.
The Republican governor, who recently made headlines for his opposition to mask mandates, is at least the 11th governor to test positive for the virus.
“The Governor will isolate in the Governor’s Mansion and continue to test daily. Governor Abbott is receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment,” the governor’s statement read.
“Governor Abbott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms. Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with today has been notified,” the statement continued. “Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott tested negative.”
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Abbott vowed last week to fight all statewide entities who defied his executive action barring mask mandates, saying all challengers will be “taken to court.”
“No governmental entity can require or mandate the wearing of masks,” Abbott said in a statement announcing his ban on mask mandates. “The path forward relies on personal responsibility—not government mandates. The State of Texas will continue to vigorously fight the temporary restraining order to protect the rights and freedoms of all Texans.”
Abbott’s order runs counter to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending universal mask wearing in school settings and in crowded public spaces.
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Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa wished the governor a “speedy recovery,” but decried partisan politics amid a pandemic.
“COVID is not a partisan issue. This is a stark reminder that no one is immune to this surge, especially as the delta variant continues to spread rapidly among our communities,” Hinojosa said in a statement.
Texas reported more than 28,000 new cases and 99 deaths in the past day, Johns Hopkins University data shows. The Lonestar State has fully vaccinated 46.6 percent of its residents.
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