Pinellas County Mask Mandate Goes Into Effect 5 p.m. Wednesday

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Following a marathon live-streamed meeting in which 7,200 residents weighed in with opinions on Facebook and another 100 people commented in person or by phone, the Pinellas County Commission voted 6-1 Tuesday to require customers and employees to wear face masks in businesses.

Commissioner Kathleen Peters voted against the measure.

Under the new order, effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, people will be required to wear face coverings in any bars, grocery stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and other for-profit businesses.

The commission's order comes on the heels of similar orders enacted in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Hillsborough and Pasco counties following a surge in positive coronavirus tests coinciding with the reopening of businesses this month.

A major difference between the new Pinellas order and the order approved by Hillsborough County is the penalty for violating the order. On Monday, the Hillsborough County Emergency Planning Group voted to make it a second-degree misdemeanor.

Pinellas County commissioners are making a violation of the face mask rule a civil citation of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $500 for a third.

The six-hour debate by Pinellas commissioners demonstrated the spectrum of opinions on the efficacy of face masks in preventing the spread of coronavirus as well as the personal freedom to choose.

Commissioner Dave Eggers said those considerations are outweighed by the opinions of the medical community, which have provided evidence showing that masks greatly reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the coronavirus.

Pinellas County has experienced a pronounced uptick in the number of positive coronavirus cases since the county reopened restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, gyms and other businesses.

On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health reported a disconcerting 13 new deaths in Pinellas County related to the the coronavirus, bringing the total to 130 people. In all 179 residents tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 4,033.

In the past week, Pinellas County has experienced a record number of positive cases with the highest total on June 20 when there were 285 positive cases.

Health officials said the average number of positive results has in the past two weeks although the number of people tested has averaged around 2,000 per day. Dr. Ulyee Choe, director of the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, said, just two weeks ago the average number of positive cases was around 1 or 2 percent. That number has quickly escalated.

• On June 15, 6.8 percent of the 1,898 tested were positive.
• On June 16, 12.1 percent of the 1,248 tested were positive.
• On June 17, 8.5 percent of the 1,559 tested were positive.
• On June 18, 11.5 percent of the 1,766 tested were positive.
• On June 19, 14.5 percent of the 1,556 tested were positive.
• On June 20, 15.2 percent of the 1,835 tested were positive.
• On June 21, 7.2 percent of the 2,580 tested were positive.
• On June 22, 9.6 percent of the 1,999 tested were positive.

More alarming, according to health officials, the median age of those testing positive has gone down. Officials are seeing a marked increase in positive tests in the age group ranging from 25 to 34 that they attribute to younger adults returning to work and resuming their social lives at bars, clubs and other entertainment venues.

“These growing numbers are concerning. We are clearly seeing a communitywide spread,” Choe said. “There’s no cure, no treatment, no vaccine. Our only options are social distancing and masks."

He said if the county doesn't contain the spread of the coronavirus, "local hospitals could get overwhelmed and not be able to provide care for all illnesses."

Dr. Jon Thogmartin, the chief medical examiner for Pinellas and Pasco counties, agreed, noting that the public has become complacent since the reopening of businesses this month.

Of special concern are bars and music venues where people are forced to talk closely to be heard about the background noise.

“If we use our brains and common courtesy, we could beat this thing," he said.

The commission considered three proposals but finally settled on an order with the following requirements:

• Restaurant and bar staff must wear a face covering while on duty and while directly or indirectly preparing food or beverages, or serving food or beverages, or having customer contact, regardless of where the food or beverage is being prepared or whether the customers are inside or outside. Customers can remove their face coverings while dining or consuming a beverage when seated and social distancing.
• Restaurants and bars must position chairs and tables so that parties of one or more are separated by six feet and customers are not standing at the bar or congregating in any area.
• Retail employees must wear face coverings unless working in an area of the business that is not open to the customers and has social distancing measures in place.

The commission agreed to make concessions for those residents who cannot wear a face mask due to allergies, lung disease that obstructs the airflow or mental health issues.

Other exceptions include:

• The mandate cannot conflict with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• It does not apply if a person is strictly adhering to social distancing and meeting in groups of 10 or less.
• It does not apply to governmental buildings including schools, courthouses and city halls, although they are encouraged to develop their own procedures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
• If a person is under 18, the use of a face mask is left to the discretion of the parent, guardian or an accompanying adult. This differs from the Hillsborough County order, which requires masks for anyone over the age of 2.
• Masks may be removed during religious rituals and singing provided that social distancing is strictly maintained.
• Exercising while social distancing, such as in a gym, is permitted without a face covering

Like Hillsborough County, Pinellas County's order leaves the enforcement responsibilities to the business owner.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said there's simply not enough law enforcement available to enforce the order.

"Everybody has to be responsible — the businesses, the employees, the patrons," he said.

He said if a customer refuses to wear a mask, the business has the right to refuse service just as it would if the person was shoeless or shirtless.

Beginning Friday, residents and visitors with questions about Pinellas County’s emergency face covering ordinance can call the County Information Center at 727-464-4333 Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Staff will be available to answer questions about the new ordinance and other coronavirus-related questions. Those with a hearing impairment can chat online.

Information is also available on the county's coronavirus page.

See related stories:

• Pasco County Requiring Face Masks Indoors Effective Immediately
• Must Wear Face Mask When Entering A St. Pete Business: Mayor
• Ways To Stop The Spread Of Coronavirus: Pinellas Doctors
• Hillsborough Approves Mandatory Face Mask Order For Businesses
• Florida Surpasses 100,000 Coronavirus Cases