The Texas Medical Board’s (TMB) minimum safe-practice standards are no longer in place, the Texas Medical Association has learned. However, TMB recommends practices continue to follow federal guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The standards, which were created in April, required physicians and practices to implement several safety measures, including wearing N95 masks and face shields when within 6 feet of a patient, and screening patients for potential COVID-19 symptoms before any encounter.
TMB officials said the standards expired in October after Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order in September that reauthorized non-emergent elective surgeries at hospitals in Texas.
“When TMB issues specific mandates related to a governor’s order, those mandates have to follow the life of the executive order,” a TMB official told Texas Medicine Today.
Since then, Governor Abbott has removed all state mandates on wearing masks and allows all businesses to open at 100% capacity starting March 10.
Although state mask mandates have been lifted, practices can still require patients, staff, and visitors to adhere the minimum safe-practice standards.
Last Updated On
June 11, 2021
Originally Published On
March 05, 2021