SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Mask mandates: many counties are implementing them.
Health officials are strongly recommending it, but Sarasota County Commissioners remain against the idea of “forcing people to wear face masks.”
"When we make decisions, we have to make decisions in terms of government policy on straight facts and data and we have to be very careful about mandating stuff just to mandate it and check a box that we did something,” Commissioner Christian Ziegler said.
Commissioner Charles Hines agreed.
“Common sense tells me that wearing a mask makes a difference, but as Commissioner Ziegler is saying, we are having to make a policy decision not based upon what common sense tells us and what we know as human beings and living our lives in this community,” Hines said. “Let’s look at the numbers.”
Both Commissioner Hines and Ziegler question whether there is enough data to prove making masks mandatory is working to stop the spread of the virus.
“Are mandatory masks working or not to decrease the positive results,” Hines asked as he looked at the data for new COVID-19 positive cases in Sarasota compared to other counties who have a mask mandate.
“I don’t see it,” Hines said.
Commissioner Hines admits it may be too early to tell and wants to keep a close eye on the numbers.
To be clear: medical research has shown that wearing face masks cuts down on the spread of the virus.
Both the World Health Organization and CDC recommend wearing face coverings when you go out because it protects both you and others.
“The bottom line is if you’re not able to stay distanced and you're indoors then you should wear a mask to protect others around you,” said Chuck Henry, health officer for the Department of Health Sarasota.
He says the science has not changed, yet Sarasota County Commissioners continue to struggle with the idea that mandating masks is necessary.
“I was looking up Osceola’s population and they are 80,000 people less than us in the 2020 population estimates, so this is what makes it even more confusing,” Commissioner Alan Maio said. “They’ve got a mask ordinance; they are smaller than we are and…they are 50 percent higher than we are.”
Sarasota commissioners will meet again in a couple of weeks and will look at the updated data to see if they should issue a mask policy.
- Florida confirms another 9,989 COVID-19 cases in one day, reports 48 more deaths
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis extends state of emergency for another 60 days
- Hillsborough County Public Schools will require students and staff to wear masks
- As coronavirus hotspots in Florida stop reopening, will areas in Tampa Bay do the same?
- High levels of COVID-19 have been found in Florida sewage, but a local spill hasn't been tested
- Police: Human head found by jogger in St. Petersburg
- Graves may be under Tropicana Field, mayor's office says
- New hurricane season forecast predicts 20 named storms, 9 hurricanes
- Police: 7-year-old Florida boy dies after being shot
- Doctors rank which activities create the most risk for getting COVID-19
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter