People in Charlotte County will still be able to decide on their own if they want to wear masks in public places and businesses, but the county high encourages the use.
HENDRY- 780 CASES AND 24 DEATHS.GLADES- 142 CASES AND ONE DEATH.TODAY CHARLOTTE COUNTYCOMMISSIONERS MET TO DISCUSSIMPOSING A MANDATORY FACE MASKORDINANCE.ON SATURDAY- THE FLORIDA HEALTHDEPARTMENT SENT OUT AN ADVISORYFOR PEOPLE TO KEEP WEARING FACECOVERINGS IN ANY SETTING WHERESOCIAL DISTANCING IS NOTPOSSIBLE.IT WAS A HOT TOPIC DURING THECOUNTY’S BOARD MEETING THISMORNING.FOX 4 SANDRA RODRIGUEZ BRING USTHE DETAILS ON THE COUNTY’SDECISION SANDRA?0:18 - 0:230:32 - 0:401:30 - 1:40LL INTRO:CHARLOTTE COUNTY COMMISSIONERSHAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ONWHETHER OR NOT TO MANDATE THEUSE OF MASKS BUT THE BOARDULTIMATELY DECIDED TO ONLYENCOURAGE THE USE THEM ADECISION MADE AFTER HEARING FROMSEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERSA DISCUSSION LASTING OVER ANHOUR━ THE DECISION OF WHETHEROR NOT TO IMPOSE A MANDATORYFACE MASK ORDINANCE IN CHARLOTTECOUNTYA TOPIC OF MIXED EMOTIONS DURINGTUESDAY’S BOARD MEETINGSOT(Sally Simon, lives in CharlotteCounty):"I feel very strongly that itshould be mandatory."ULTIMATELY COMMISSIONER DECIDEDAGAINST MAKING THE USE OF MASKSIN BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC PLACESMANDATORY INSTEAD━ THE COUNTYWILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGEPEOPLE TO DO SOSOT(Brian Gleason, CommunicationsManager, Charlotte County):"They wanted to re-emphasizethat without going into theextra step of making itmandatory with all the issues ofenforcement that that carries."ONE OF THE ISSUES DISCUSSED WAS━ HOW WOULD THE MASK MANDATE BEENFORCEDSOT(Brian Gleason, CommunicationsManager, Charlotte County):"So what’s going to happen in astore when someone walks inwithout a mask on?
Who has tocarry that enforcement onus?They wanted to avoid that."BUSINESSES CAN ALREADY DENYSERVICE TO PEOPLE NOT WEARINGMASKS WITHOUT A MANDATE INPLACE SIMILAR TO THAT OF NOSHOES, NO SHIRT, NO SERVICESOT(Brian Gleason, CommunicationsManager, Charlotte County):"We’ve seen that a lot ofbusinesses in the community havebeen putting up socialdistancing reminders.
There aresome businesses that requireconsumers to wear masks."SALLY SIMONE SAYS SHE WASDISAPPOINTED WITH THE COUNTY’SDECISION AND THINKS WEARINGMASKS SHOULDN’T NOT BE LEFT UPFOR INDIVIDUALS TO DECIDESOT(Sally Simon, lives in CharlotteCounty):"I’m 72-years old, I have apre-existing condition, I’mprotecting me for me, and I’mprotecting y’all from me in caseI have something."BUT OTHERS SAY THE COUNTY MADETHE RIGHT MOVESOT(Hardy Whidden, CharlotteCounty):"I think if you’re predisposedto this illness like if you haveasthma, you should wear a maskbut I don’t think but I don’tthink everyone else should haveto wear a mask."LL TAG:THE COUNTY SAYS IT WILL CONTINUETO MONITOR THE SITUATION ANDHAVE WEEKLY COVID-19 RESPONSEMEETINGS PEOPLE AND BUSINESSESCAN PICK UP FREE MASKS AT THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH I
Firefighters in Butte County are bracing for an active and severe wildfire season and they're doing it with coronavirus cases..
