DALLAS — Dallas County has altered its face mask mandate so that it no longer affects most residents and buildings in the area.
Judge Clay Jenkins announced Friday night that the county's mandate will now only require masks inside jails, long-term care facilities and health care buildings.
The mandate had previously stated that masks would be required at public schools and colleges, businesses and buildings owned or operated by Dallas County, although there was no penalty for not following the mandate.
The decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday changed its guidance on face masks for a majority of the U.S. population. According to the agency, Americans in counties where COVID-19 poses a low or medium threat to hospitals can ease up on mask-wearing.
"During the time of high spread in Delta and Omicron, the people and businesses of Dallas county stepped up to protect one another," Jenkins said in a statement Friday. "Although mask are no longer required, they are strongly recommended for immunocompromised individuals in indoor settings outside of their home, or those who are visiting with immunocompromised or medically frail individuals, including the elderly."
Earlier this week, Dallas County lowered its COVID-19 threat level from "red" to "orange," signifying a moderate community risk for transmission.
Jenkins initially put the mandate into place on Aug. 11, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 delta variant, which led to a surge in cases and hospitalizations.
However, the mandate saw much legal pushback as it was issued despite Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order that banned mask mandates in Texas.
Jenkins' mandate went through appeals and the latest ruling surrounding it led to a temporary injunction by a district judge in Dallas that blocked Abbott's order.
Although Jenkins' mandate required schools and businesses to have health and safety plans with mask requirements, there was no penalty for violations of the mandate.
When the mandate was first issued on Aug. 11, it included a fine for businesses that didn't follow the mandate. However, that penalty was removed just days later.