Today, Reps. Lois Frankel (FL-21), Ted Deutch (FL-22), and Alcee Hastings (FL-20) sent a letter to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners urging them to follow national best practices to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by requiring masks to be worn in all essential indoor establishments.

On Monday, Florida recorded nearly 2,800 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number of new and confirmed cases in a single day. In Palm Beach County yesterday, there were 344 new cases and 12 deaths compared to 77 cases and 6 deaths two weeks ago.

The letter states in part, “No one should have to choose between our health and our economy – in fact, a healthy economy cannot exist without a healthy workforce and healthy customers. It is both unfair and unsafe that people who wear masks in supermarkets, drug stores and other businesses open to the public should be put at risk by those who do not.”

The letter continues, “Symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptotic people with COVID-19 can all be contagious via respiratory transmission, which is why the CDC recommends the use of face coverings to reduce the spread of the virus. According to a recent study published in a prominent health journal, states that required the use of face coverings have prevented 230,000 to 450,000 cases of COVID-19 between the dates of April 8 and May 15^th. In fact, medical experts agree that wearing a mask reduces the risk of spreading or contracting the virus.”

For full text of the letter, click here.

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