Socorro mandates face coverings for anyone out in public in the city to stop virus spread

SOCORRO, Texas -- Socorro's mayor has signed an executive order that mandates face coverings, effective Monday, for all people who leave their homes and are out in public in the city in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Of El Paso County's nearly 500 confirmed virus cases, about 20 of those have been reported within Socorro, officials said.

While the El Paso County judge has previously recommended face masks for residents, Socorro becomes the first community within the county to mandate it.

Mayor Elia Garcia, in a statement announcing the new order on Saturday, described it as "an effort to keep the public’s health & well-being" and said that "anyone residing in, working in, or traveling through (Socorro) is expected to comply."

Garcia later told ABC-7 in an interview that the city's police department and code enforcement personnel will enforce the directive - and violators could face citations carrying a fine of up to $1,000.

Below is a complete copy of the executive order that becomes law on Monday in Socorro: