The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and lasts until April 30, aligning it with the new end date that President Donald Trump announced Monday for social-distancing guidelines.

The order supersedes one that Abbott issued March 19 that limited social gatherings to 10 people, among other things. The new order narrows that standard significantly, asking Texans to "minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household."

In using terms like "minimize," the order's language stops short of explicitly banning nonessential activity. But Abbott made clear he expects all Texans to adhere to the guidance or face criminal punishment — and that there is only wiggle room in the language to account for potential "exceptions to the rule."

"You never know what the exception would be, like let's say there's some emergency where you have to go do something or whatever the case may be," he said. "And you don't want to get people subject to being in violation of a law for a lack of clarity."