Coronavirus keeps mask requirements, encouragement at forefront in Volusia
Katie Kustura
katie.kustura@news-jrnl.com
To wear, or not to wear a mask, that has become the question throughout the country and especially in Florida, where the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow.
In recent weeks, local governments have held special meetings to try and address the question on the minds of many as guidance from higher-ups has varied.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, on his Facebook page, posted Tuesday morning: "I urge all Floridians to continue social distancing to help protect our state's most vulnerable and slow the spread of COVID-19. Avoid the 'Three Cs' and high-risk environments. Wearing a facial covering when you can't social distance may also help reduce transmission."
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A few days prior, 10 Democratic members of the state House of Representatives signed a letter to DeSantis, urging him to follow in the footsteps of Pennsylvania, Oregon and Kansas and institute some type of statewide mask mandate. The letter specifically suggests requiring the "use of face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible."
"Leading medical experts from across the globe have stressed that using face masks reduces exposure to the virus, potentially saving countless lives," the letter states. "This is not a partisan issue."
While those lawmakers don't consider wearing a mask to help slow the spread of COVID-19 a partisan issue, the practice has seen a mixed bag of responses from residents as cities in Volusia and Flagler counties have continued to tackle the topic.
The approach of how to encourage or mandate masks has varied.
Deltona, the largest city in Volusia County, approved 4-1 a resolution Tuesday evening encouraging masks.
"This commission had to have a discussion with you the public as to what the pulse is on this," Mayor Heidi Herzberg said.
Commissioner Loren King, who cast the dissenting vote, and at least a couple of the residents who spoke during public comment, questioned the need for the special meeting since Deltona's resolution has no teeth to it.
Other cities have gone a different route.
Daytona Beach's mandate, which went into effect on June 28, requires that anyone working, living, visiting or doing business in the city wear a face covering in any indoor location, other than a home or residence, when social distancing is not possible.
Those who violate Daytona's order prior to 12:01 a.m. on July 16 may receive a verbal or written warning, but after that time violations are second-degree misdemeanors, Daytona's order states.
In DeLand, a mandate with financial penalties went into effect last Friday. Orange City followed suit on Monday.
Whether it's an encouragement or a mandate, cities are including a number of exceptions, such as persons under the age of 2, persons for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition and persons eating or drinking.
In Volusia County, where leaders didn't want to enact a mandate, wearing a mask is deemed a personal responsibility. At the end of June, the county unveiled a campaign, dubbed "Step Up Volusia," with the tagline "Wash Up, Back Up, Mask Up" to encourage people to employ hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask as a means to slow the spread of COVID-19.
As part of that campaign, Volusia County on Thursday will make free surgical masks available at locations countywide.
The Volusia County Chamber Alliance also has been making free personal protection equipment kits available to local businesses. On Thursday they will be up for grabs at the Ormond Performing Arts Center and The Center at Deltona. The kits also will be available Friday at the Wayne G. Sanborn Activity & Events Center in DeLand.
[READ MORE: Volusia, Daytona to distribute free face masks in coronavirus fight]
[READ MORE: What action have cities in Volusia-Flagler taken on masks?]
Some local elected officials have commented during these special meetings and in interviews that they would have preferred to have leaders of the state take the helm on whether or not masks should be required.
Ben Johnson, Volusia's former sheriff and the County Council's current at-large councilman, said in a phone interview Wednesday that statewide action would provide more consistency.
"If you're going to do it, it's better to do it where all the rules are the same," Johnson said. "Law enforcement are busy enough as it is without becoming the mask police."
Barb Girtman, councilwoman for District 1, said she supports mandating masks but doesn't think enforcement should fall on officers.
"I think their efforts need to be directed toward other, more serious crimes," Girtman said in a phone interview Wednesday. "In this current climate, I don't want anyone with a gun enforcing the wearing of masks."
Girtman also said that it would be nice if the cities that are enacting mandates could provide at least one disposable mask to residents.
"I just think it's a much more proactive approach than being punitive right out of the gate," the councilwoman said.
Girtman said she wonders if people who don't want to wear a mask would change their minds if the virus hit closer to home.
"I understand that it's an inconvenience, but so are the alternatives, to watch a loved one suffer or suffer yourself or know that you brought suffering on someone else," the councilwoman said. "It's an emotional time, and unfortunately something that's health-related has been politicized."
The politicization of masks has resulted in the circulation of mixed information on who should wear masks, the effectiveness of certain face coverings and potential negative impacts from masks.
Some officials and residents have questioned the constitutionality of governments mandating masks.
According to the American Bar Association: "Under the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment and U.S. Supreme Court decisions over nearly 200 years, state governments have the primary authority to control the spread of dangerous diseases within their jurisdictions. The 10th Amendment, which gives states all powers not specifically given to the federal government, allows them the authority to take public health emergency actions, such as setting quarantines and business restrictions."
Earlier this year, when less was known about how the virus spreads, some public health groups said healthy people don't need to wear face coverings and that surgical and N95 masks should be reserved for health care providers.
As it became clear that people could be positive for COVID-19 while being asymptomatic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusted its positioning on masks. The CDC currently "recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings when around people outside of their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain."
Some people who don't think masks should be mandated have cited partial information to officials.
In a Q&A on masks and COVID-19, the World Health Organization states: "the widespread use of masks everywhere is not supported by high-quality scientific evidence, and there are potential benefits and harms to consider."
The information from WHO goes on to state: "However, there are some settings in which it may not be possible to keep physical distancing and the use of a mask could be helpful to provide a barrier to limit the spread of potentially infectious droplets from someone who is infected."
Others have said particles of COVID-19 are too small to be stopped by a mask.
While the actual virus is smaller than the N95 filter, its attachment to larger particles, which masks have been able to block, is largely what allows the virus to travel, according to health experts.
Some have claimed that wearing a mask could lead to hypoxia, a condition where the supply of oxygen in tissue is insufficient; hypoxemia, a condition where there is low arterial oxygen supply; or hypercapnia, a condition that results from too much carbon dioxide in the bloodstream.
While members of the general public who aren't used to wearing masks may feel like they're getting less oxygen, experts say the amount of time people are wearing masks won't lead to those conditions, especially if they don't have pre-existing health issues.
Per the American Lung Association: "Masks are designed to be breathed through and there is no evidence that low oxygen levels occur. There is some evidence, however, that prolonged use of N-95 masks in patients with preexisting lung disease could cause some build-up of carbon dioxide levels in the body."