AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says local governments are free to mandate that businesses require customers and workers to wear face masks because of the coronavirus pandemic.

His comment Wednesday comes after one the state’s most populous counties ordered such a measure amid record numbers of new cases of coronavirus and hospitalizations. The order for Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, takes affect Monday and businesses could face fines up to $1,000 for failing to comply.

The governor has declined to issue a statewide order for individuals to wear masks, preferring to leave it to local leaders.

Texas set new daily highs for new cases with 3,129 and for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 2,793. The hospitalization mark sets a daily record for the 10th time in 11 days.

ASPEN, Colo. — A national trade association for the U.S. ski industry says ski businesses lost at least $2 billion over the winter because of the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Aspen Times reports that the Denver-based National Ski Areas Association announced Wednesday that skier visits fell 14% during the latest season, compared with the 2018-2019 season. There were about 51.1 million visits in the shortened season.

Resorts were forced to closed in March following state restrictions intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

It is unclear how the pandemic will affect the 2020-2021 season. But the economic loss tied to the pandemic could increase to about $5 billion if the downtown continues.