FACT CHECK: Did Texas Governor Greg Abbott Ban All Travelers Coming Into Texas From Louisiana?
An image shared on Facebook claims Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has banned all travelers coming into Texas from Louisiana.
“It just got REAL REAL,” reads the caption.
Verdict: False
There is no travel ban on people coming from Louisiana. The executive order requires that people traveling by car from Louisiana self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering Texas.
Fact Check:
Abbott expanded quarantine orders for travelers entering Texas on March 29 to include “every person who enters the State of Texas through roadways from Louisiana.” The mandate, which went into effect on March 30, requires people traveling by car from Louisiana to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entry into Texas.
The same day that Abbott made the announcement, local journalist Jason Whitely tweeted out what he believed to be a summary of the expanded quarantine orders. That tweet was later screen grabbed and posted on Facebook.
“#BREAKING: Governor @GregAbbott_TX issues executive order banning people from traveling into Texas from Louisiana,” he tweeted. “State troopers will stop motorists. Commercial activity, emergency response or critical infrastructure responsibilities is okay.”
There is, however, no mention of a travel ban on travelers entering Texas from Louisiana in the governor’s executive order. A spokesperson for Abbott’s office confirmed to the Daily Caller in a phone interview that “no ban on travel between the two states” exists.
Whitely amended his statement in a subsequent tweet.
UPDATE: *Travel from Louisiana to Texas is NOT banned. Anyone entering by car must quarantine for 14-days.* https://t.co/PAtq2ja2j0
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) March 29, 2020
“UPDATE: *Travel from Louisiana to Texas is NOT banned,” he tweeted. “Anyone entering by care must quarantine for 14-days.*” (RELATED: Does This Video Show Military Vehicles Arriving In New York City During The Coronavirus Pandemic?)
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will enforce the quarantine mandate, which requires travelers to provide a quarantine location and other information. But a DPS spokesperson has said that enforcement doesn’t include checkpoints at the Texas-Louisiana border, according to local affiliate KHOU 11.
Travel related to “commercial activity, military service, emergency response, health response, or critical-infrastructure functions” are exempt from the mandatory quarantine, according to the executive order.