Getty Waiting for a bus to cross the U.S.-Mexico border on March 20, 2020.
While the U.S. government is debating whether to update its recommendation on wearing face masks in public to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, a town in Texas has decided to take matters into its own hands. Laredo, Texas has put in place a new rule for its residents over the age of 5, which came into effect on Thursday, April 2.
📌City of Laredo Takes Further Action to Stop Spread of COVID-19
See full release: t.co/OB3XXEmSmb
The New Rule Was Decided During a City Council Meeting on March 31 & Is One of Many Emergency Ordinances
Residents of the town are required to wear a covering over their mouth and nose when out in public, or they risk getting fined up to $1,000. The rule applies to when residents enter public buildings, use public transportation, taxis or other rideshare services, or at gas stations.
People aren’t required to cover their nose and mouth if they’re in their own homes, in their vehicles, or exercising outside and following the social distancing guidelines.
The city of Laredo’s Twitter account posted a list of things that residents can use as a mouth and nose covering if they don’t have an actual face mask. They said that residents can use a scarf, a bandana, a face cover or they can even make their own mask using a bandana and hair ties.
👍There are different protective layers that you can use to cover cover your mouth and nose!
🔷You can use a scarf
🔷You can use a bandana
🔷You can use a face cover
🔷You can even create your own face mask with a bandana and hair ties!
The Twitter post was accompanied by a video showing each of the options and showing how they can be used by residents.
The rule was issued after a special city council meeting on March 31 and was accompanied by a handful of other actions. There is also a daily curfew for all residents from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day, with only essential trips allowed during this time period. Those who have to work during those hours need to show identification or a letter from their employer.
The mayor’s emergency order was also extended until the end of the month, on April 30, 2020.
Laredo, Texas Currently Has 73 Coronavirus Cases and 5 Deaths
The city of Laredo posted on its Twitter that as of 12 p.m. on April 3, they have tested 385 people. Of those tests, 73 came back as positive cases of COVID-19. They have 7 people listed as recovered and 5 deaths.
As of 12:00 p.m. — 385 have been tested; 73 are positive cases; 7 have recovered; and 5 have passed.
For additional information, visit our Coronavirus website: t.co/2ADmSFMu1Q
Laredo is a city in the south of Texas that’s on the border with Mexico. In the 2010 census, it had a population of just over 235,000 in the city. It’s across the Rio Grande from the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and combined, the two cities form the cross-border Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan Area. The population of that cross-border area is estimated to be over 636,000.
READ NEXT: ‘Nobody Wants Dasani Water’: Coronavirus Meme Spreads