In a letter sent this week, mayors in some of Texas' largest cities asked Gov. Greg Abbott to give them the go-ahead to require the wearing of face masks in public to combat the spread of COVID-19.
This comes as the state experiences a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases and hospitalizations since restrictions on restaurants and retail businesses were loosened.
In Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, County Judge Nelson Wolff signed an executive order Wednesday mandating that businesses require customers to wear masks when social distancing isn't possible. Those businesses that fail to comply could face a $1,000 fine.
Abbott has said he won't issue a blanket statewide mask order and banned local governments from doing so. The governor has asked Texans to behave more responsibly.
But his office said the governor is not opposed to the Bexar County mandate, presumably because it is restricted to business premises.
So it's likely we will soon see orders similar to Bexar County in many place across the state.
But will it happen here? That's a question city and county officials should consider. Especially if the COVID-19 count continues to climb at the current rate.