NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — There have been some mixed messages regarding masks.
Some First Coast counties and cities are requiring them, others are not. Tuesday, St. Johns County commissioners voted against a mandate requiring masks in public.
On Wednesday, Nassau County officials discussed a similar measure but want to discuss it more. Nassau County commissioners plan to discuss it further. The county’s emergency management team is however distributing cloth masks for free.
First Coast News spoke with a longtime doctor who is the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. He feels a mask mandate is one component to bringing COVID-19 cases down. Wearing cloth face masks has become a divisive topic.
Dr. Mobeen Rathore has practiced medicine for 30 years. He’s followed the pandemic closely and says that stronger measures must be in place as the number of coronavirus cases in Florida has increased.
“I think it’s a sign of strength that we looked at the evidence and say ‘I changed my mind,’ it’s not a sign of weakness,” Dr. Rathore said.
In Duval County, masks are required in public and inside businesses. Cloth masks can be seen for sale inside Turner ACE Hardware in Jacksonville Beach.
Different counties have different mandates. In St. Johns County it’s not a requirement to wear a mask in businesses. However, in Duval County, it is a requirement to wear a mask.
Dr. Rathore says that masks are about protecting others if you have the virus and may not show any symptoms.
“Businesses used to have signs saying 'no shoes, no shirt, no service,'" he said. "Maybe we’ll have to change to 'no shoes, no shirt, no mask, no service,' that’s where we have to go.”
Dr. Rathore says masks are just one component of flattening the curve.
“We need to make it a medical and scientific decision, not a political decision,” Dr. Rathore added.
In Nassau County, the Fernandina Beach City Council will discuss a similar mandate tomorrow. The mask mandates in cities like Jacksonville and St. Augustine are in effect until further notice.