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Florida sheriff bans face masks among officers
Aug 13, 2020
Sheriff Billy Woods, of central Florida's Marion County, emailed deputies Tuesday to tell them of the new mask prohibition, according to local paper the Ocala Star Banner, citing the message.
"My order will stand as is when you are on-duty/working as my employee and representing my Office – masks will not be worn," the email read.
The sheriff allowed for certain exceptions, including for officers who work in prisons, schools, hospitals or with people suspected of being infected with the virus.
Woods added that his order was due to "the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today."
Woods seemed to be referring to protests against racism and police violence that swept across the country during the spring and early summer.
He also said that visitors to the sheriff's office would not be allowed to wear masks for the same reason: "for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby."
Mask-wearing is not compulsory in Florida -- only recommended -- but the state is one of the most severe hotspots of the epidemic in the US. The state registered 212 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday after 276 on Tuesday.
In total, 8,765 people have died of COVID-19 in Florida, out of more than 550,901 cases in the state of 21 million.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), like much of the scientific and medical community, have recommended the use of face masks to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
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