LEE COUNTY, FLA — "I'm a really outgoing person, I'm so used to talking to people," said Emmanuel Salinas.
It's not the graduation celebration this social butterfly was hoping for.
"For me to be just by myself, just with my family is just weird to me," Salinas said.
But it's the one this Dunbar High School grad will have, before enlisting in the army, because of COVID-19.
"I thought I'd still have the last few months to have with my friends," said Salinas.
It's a rite a passage he hopes no future graduating classes will have to endure, but as of right now that fact depends on how much more COVID-19 spreads.
And right now, the state is breaking records for the number of positive cases we're seeing, especially among younger crowds.
With that in mind we asked this new grad, how he think we should stop the spread.
"What I do think is that if you're going to store where there's other people there, wear your mask, wear your gloves. Protect yourself and help others," Salinas said.
It's the same train of the thought we saw earlier today, when the governor was asked if masks should me mandatory for everyone in public.
"To do police and out criminal penalties on that is something that would probably backfire," said Governor DeSantis.
And a top health office in the area agrees.
"I would much rather them wear a mask nor because its mandated, but because they understand why," said Lee Health CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci.
Antonucci says wearing a mask and following CDC guidelines could get us to a place where we're closer to enjoying a newer, safer normal.
Early in this pandemic this community has incredible resolve and we were able to flatten the curve dramatically, if you just look at the graph you'll see it. And we can do that again," he said.
