Frustration grows as governor goes maskless at Delray market
What’s the point of requiring COVID-19 masks in public if not even county leaders will follow their own safety rule?
That’s the criticism that surfaced Tuesday after several
Palm Beach County commissioners were photographed without masks at the opening of the Delray Beach Market on Saturday, alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“We’ve been getting the emails all weekend since the governor’s event down in Delray Beach,” County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said. “We are leading by example ... and if we’re going to have a mask order in place, then we need to abide by it. I’m wondering exactly how effective we think this is.”
The issue raised questions about whether mask ordinances still make sense — especially given the new guidance from the federal government on Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its guidelines on wearing masks outdoors, saying fully vaccinated Americans don’t need to cover their faces anymore unless they
are in a big crowd of strangers. And unvaccinated people may go outside without masks in some instances too.
The CDC essentially endorsed what many Americans have already been doing over the past several weeks. Some experts portrayed the relaxed guidance as a motivator for more people to get vaccinated. It signaled another step toward trying to progress back to normal from the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 570,000 people in the U.S.
Setting mask requirements
Across South Florida, the rules for mask-wearing have varied.
Palm Beach County originally instituted its mask mandate in June, including fines for those who ignored the order. However, Gov. DeSantis later revoked the ability for local governments to collect fines. The mask mandate has remained in place, with commissioners and health officials recommending mask-wearing as the best way to curb the spread of COVID-19.
In Broward, masks are generally not required outdoors, with exceptions such as concerts or long lines to enter a business, like a bar. “In general, we’ve lifted all restrictions on outdoor masks,” said Broward Mayor Steve Geller.
Indoors, the rules have stayed the same for masks, and Geller said it will be the last thing to be lifted.
“Our numbers are still elevated,” Geller said. “Wishing the pandemic was over doesn’t make it so. If everybody wore a mask for 30 days, it would be over.”
In Miami-Dade, masks are still generally required in public spaces, like supermarkets, according to a county spokeswoman.
The CDC’s decision to relax its recommendations was driven by rising vaccination numbers; declines in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths; and research showing that less than 10% of documented instances of transmission of the virus happened outdoors. Dr. Mike Saag, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, welcomed the change.
“It’s the return of freedom,” Saag said. “It’s the return of us being able to do normal activities again. We’re not there yet, but we’re on the exit ramp. And that’s a beautiful thing.”
Drawing attention
But Saturday’s event in Delray Beach still drew attention over the fact the county still has its mask mandate, drawing a question of whether it should even still be in effect.
Delray Beach Market held its grand opening with numerous officials on hand, including DeSantis. In pictures posted on the governor’s Twitter account, hardly any masks were visible during the event. Four county commissioners — County Mayor Dave Kerner, Robert Weinroth, Maria Sachs and Mack Bernard — were among the people shown maskless at the event.
While she didn’t call anyone out by name, McKinlay voiced her concerns about the effectiveness of the mask mandate. “I am a little frustrated. I don’t want to hide that,” she said.
She called attention to how many are still getting infected, and how mask-wearing could help curb the spread of the virus. “Obviously it’s the best practice right now, and we’re not out of the woods, but in reality, if we can’t enforce it and can’t abide by it, what purpose are we serving?”
Dr. Alina Alonso, the state health department director for Palm Beach County, acknowledged McKinlay’s concerns, and said it still remained the best tool they had in fighting the disease.
“I think the mandate sets an example of what we expect to do,” Alonso said. “It’s kind of like what you teach your children. You’ve got to walk the walk, because your children are going to follow you. And I think our community has followed us.”
Weinroth acknowledged he was “guilty as several of the people on this dais” for not wearing a mask at Saturday’s event, but said he thinks they’re nearing a time when they need to “release our grip” on local restrictions.
“At some point, even with the virus in the background, we’re going to have to say that people are going to have to make their own decisions on if they want to wear a mask or not,” Weinroth said.
“I think we have to recognize people have a right to make decisions on their own. Florida made the decision that people don’t have to wear helmets when they’re riding a motorcycle, even though I think everybody would recognize that’s probably a pretty silly thing to do. But we also recognize that people have a right to make a decision.
“I think at some point we’re going to have to step back and let our residents make a decision that’s right for them.”