EDINBURG — In his capacity as the county’s emergency management director, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez signed an order last Wednesday requiring all Hidalgo County businesses to mandate the use of facial coverings by all employees and customers to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order went into effect at midnight Wednesday 6/17, but businesses did not have to comply with the order until midnight 6/20. The order remains in effect until it is modified. “I am growing more concerned as the number of infections in Hidalgo County continue to rise,” Judge Cortez said. “Despite abundant publicity that the rate of ...