FORT MYERS, Fla. — Wearing a mask or face covering has become the new normal. However, there are some who have simply chosen not to despite CDC recommendations. Now congressional leaders from Florida say enough is enough. They are urging Governor Ron DeSantis to mandate a mask order for the sunshine state as COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket.
In a news conference last week Governor DeSantis said he doesn't see a need for a statewide mask order.
“At the same time you have to enforce that and you have to make a decisions about what type of penalties you think are appropriate, I think state wide penalties would be problematic” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
In a press release representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida's 23rd Congressional District says,
“We’re sounding the alarm for the governor to end this parade of mistakes and issue a mandatory order to all residents that they need to wear masks in public” said Rep. Wasserman- Schultz.
Robert Hawkes with Florida Gulf Coast University says masks will prevent droplets of the virus from spreading.
“It will help the spread to others if someone is ill, or maybe they don’t even know if they are sick or have been exposed to COVID, if they are breathing in it’s going to help to break apart and filter the air droplets they would be breathing in” said Robert Hawkes, Director of the Physicians Assistant Program at Florida Gulf Coast University.
He says as the state fully reopens wearing a mask is vital.
“It still is important, were not through COVID, COVID’s not done, so we need to protect ourselves to make sure we don’t have a big spike in July or August” said Hawkes.
