- Florida anti-maskers went viral after attending a Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners public comment session on face mask mandates.
- The clip shows enraged citizens at the prospect of being forced to wear face masks, invoking some of the silliest reasons to resist the face coverings.
- Florida reported nearly 9,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, a new daily record. The state never experienced such figures during the lockdowns and has been setting records ever since it reopened.
In the early months of the novel coronavirus pandemic, we were told that face masks won’t offer much protection against COVID-19. The point of it all was to prevent a run on personal protective equipment which healthcare workers and first responders desperately needed, we later learned. It’s not like all countries had enough PPE when the first COVID-19 outbreaks hit, but that’s a different story. As we started understanding this illness better, we saw more and more studies that proved masks could really reduce the risk of transmission. The virus can travel beyond six feet, especially in AC-ventilated indoor areas like grocery stores and restaurants, and that’s where a combination of good hygiene, social distancing, and face masks could work. Face masks then became a thing, and officials started promoting their use. Not all of them were ready to also wear them in public, with President Trump being a prime example of that.
This brings us to present-day Florida, where there’s a vociferous anti-mask community unafraid to explain why face masks should not be imposed on citizens. Now, everybody is entitled to their own opinion about everything, pandemic and face mask included, even if that opinion is wrong. The Florida anti-maskers that you’re about to see defend their right to be infected and infect others with ease are a good reminder of why you should be wearing masks in the first place.
There’s nothing to give you a 100% protection against COVID-19; that’s how devious this virus is. You might do everything right and still get an infection. But face masks can provide additional protection that can reduce the risk of transmission.
Florida is one of the US states that’s driving America’s renewed COVID-19 outbreak. Since reopening, Florida has broken record after record when it comes to the number of new daily infections. Health officials reported nearly 9,000 cases for Friday, bringing the state’s total to over 122,000, according to The Miami Herald. Florida has reported almost 30,000 cases in the past seven days, nearly a quarter of all cases so far. Health officials also reported 137 new deaths, for a total of more than 3,400 COVID-19 casualties since the Florida epidemic started.
The clip at the end of this post shows various anti-maskers who explained why they don’t believe in face masks, why they don’t want to wear face masks, and why face masks mandates should not be enforced. It’s hilarious in an incredibly sad way. These anti-maskers might get infected easier than people who wear covers, and they might infect others, including their loved ones. Some people might die after coming in contact with someone who wasn’t wearing a mask — neither one of them will know it.
“I don’t wear a mask for the same reason I don’t wear underwear: Things gotta breathe,” says the first woman in the clip below to some laughter from the audience. But things get serious pretty quickly as you realize this video isn’t some sort of segment on a show. It’s the real deal, from a Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners public comment session.
Some of the speakers brought all the big guns, including “God’s wonderful breathing system,” “constitutional rights,” “freedom of choice,” the cameras that will scan everybody once 5G comes out, the “dangerous deviants” and pedophiles, and “We the people.”
The entire cut below feels like an episode from a twisted dark comedy. But it’s real life, unfolding before your eyes.
That said, remember to wear face masks while you’re out and practice social distancing, while fully knowing the Palm Beach County board approved the order to mandate face masks. County Mayor Dave Kerner said the order will stay in place indefinitely, and it will be enforced with civil citations and fines.
