Many Texas sheriffs refuse to follow a new executive order requiring the wearing of masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the state.

Texas governor Greg Abbott said the state's confirmed cases already reached past 200,000 on Tuesday.

Police officials in the nine counties will not issue a fine to offenders of the new mask rule.

Reports say these counties are Denton, Houston, Montgomery, Gillespie, Upshur, Kerr, Gregg, Nacogdoches, and Panola. One official called the rule "draconian."

Offenders of the said rule will receive a fine up to $250 as a penalty.

"While we in law enforcement are desperately trying to build trust w/our [with our] community and are spread incredibly thin with the huge rise in violent crime, we are now expected to enforce yet another draconian mask law," Houston Police Officers' Union President Joe Gamaldi tweeted.

He said that everyone should wear a mask, "but don't put us in this position."

One of the reasons for choosing not to follow the ruling was staffing issues. Other officials said it is because of the confusing language in the governor's order.

On July 3, Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree wrote on Facebook that the order is not a law. He said there is no requirement that any police officer should enforce it.

Cases Rising in Texas 

The coronavirus cases in Texas have more than doubled over the last two weeks. The state recorded around 8,700 people in hospitals on July 6.

Officials in Houston and Austin worry their hospitals could hit capacity in two weeks, CBS News reports.

Rio Grande Valley hospitals are already at near full capacity.

Can Wearing Masks Help?

Scientists said the virus could be spread through respiratory droplets and passed when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Studies suggest face masks may help as a barrier to the virus. 

Associate chief clinical officer and chief quality officer at Henry Ford Health System in Michigan Dr. Betty Chu said wearing a mask reduces the possibility of transmitting the disease.

"Whether you're Republican or Democrat, you breathe the same air, and you exhale the same air," Chu was quoted in a CNBC report.

One study said that across 198 countries, those with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask-wearing had lower death rates.

The Other States with Mask Rule

Governors and public health officials across the U.S. have released safety guidelines to reduce the coronavirus disease spread.

Examples of these are staying at home orders and wearing masks.

States like Arizona and Florida are still in debate about whether to implement the rule.

Kansas recently joined Texas in releasing their orders.

The U.S. President Donald Trump said there is no problem wearing a mask. But he said it is not necessary to make face masks a requirement across the country.

Some experts believe there should be a statewide mask order.

Dr. Neal Jain was among doctors who signed a petition for a mask mandate. Jain is a clinical allergist and immunologist at San Tan Allergy and Asthma and director of research at Arizona Allergy and Immunology Research.

"I think it is a public health 101 mandate that should be in place to protect all of our citizens from the potential ramifications," Jain was quoted in a CNBC report.

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