Bandera County officials said information from the Texas Division of Emergency Management last week showed that the county had received an exemption from the state-imposed requirement that people wear face coverings in public when close contact with others is unavoidable, though they felt it remains a useful safeguard for people to consider as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. County officials submitted documentation to the emergency management division last month after compiling data showing that the county’s active case count for COVID-19 infections had stayed below 20 for 30 consecutive days as of Aug. 19. That’s the standard set by the state to claim ...