Seminole County commissioners to vote on if mask mandate will end in June
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - Some Seminole County residents are fed up with the mask mandate. At Tuesday's meeting, they let county commissioners know how they feel.
There was a different kind of debate between Commissioner Lee Constantine and five people in the audience against Seminole’s mask mandate.
Lee Constantine: "Sir, I’ve asked you to put masks on."
Resident: "Sir, you’re putting me at risk. You don’t have a mask on."
Commissioner: "We are up here, separated."
Resident Gerald Martin told the commissioner they are separated and socially distanced, but inside commission chambers, everyone must wear a mask.
Lee Constantine: "Sir, I’m asking you all to put masks on. We have everybody at risk."
Resident: "I voted for you."
Gerald Martin said, "This is a double standard."
Commissioner Constantine said, "I wasn’t going to physically remove them because I think, in part, that’s what some of them wanted."
Commissioner Constantine said the county will follow the mask mandate until there’s scientific data showing it’s not needed anymore.
"We all want that, but also if we don’t do it — keep the masks on, get vaccinated — we’ll never get through this," he said.
Commissioners will vote on the mask mandate on April 27.
The vote would be whether to rescind the executive order regarding masks effective Monday, June 7.
Commissioner Amy Lockhart says they need to look at the data and hopefully get rid of the mandate in June.
Residents say they’re ready.
Gerald Martin said, "If masks truly worked, then no one that wore a mask, would ever have gotten sick."
Kelly Chilson agrees, and said, "There’s a growing amount of evidence that the masks are doing physical and psychological damage than they are preventing."