TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG Abbott, a Republican and ally of US President Donald Trump, on Thursday issued an executive order requiring face coverings in public spaces.

The order applies to counties with 20 or more confirmed COVID-19 cases, Abbott’s office said in a statement.

The governor also banned gatherings of more than 10 people, and mandated social distancing of two metres.

The US is experiencing record numbers of cases with 50,000 reported in the space of 24 hours yesterday.

It emerged earlier today that Trump appeared to have shifted his stance on wearing a face-covering in public, saying in an interview that he is “all for masks”.

The American leader even told Fox Business he thinks wearing a mask makes him look like the fictional Lone Ranger.

He said: “I’m all for masks. I think masks are good. People have seen me wearing one.”

“If I were in a tight situation with people, I would absolutely.”

His comments came a day after Republican lawmakers suggested that he wear a mask in public to set a good example for Americans.

Mr Trump has long resisted being photographed in a mask.

In early April, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures were difficult to maintain.

Trump immediately undercut the US health guidance by flatly stating that he would not follow it, suggesting it would be unseemly for the president to wear a mask as he meets with heads of state.

On Wednesday, he sounded a different tone, saying: “I had a mask on. I sort of liked the way I looked. OK. I thought it was OK. It was a dark black mask, and I thought it looked OK.

“It looked like the Lone Ranger,” he added, referring to the law-and-order character from the American Old West who wore a black eye mask.

“I have no problem with that, and if people feel good about it, they should do it.”

With reporting by PA