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Local Health Care Leaders ‘Stand United’ In Urging Face Mask Use In Escambia County
July 1, 2020
Local health care leaders have sent a letter to each Escambia County commissioner urging the use of face coverings in the county.
The letter stops short of asking the commission to enact an ordinance mandating mask use. The Pensacola City Council passed a mandatory masking ordinance Tuesday night that includes fines for non-compliance.
Baptist Hospital Mark Faulkner said Wednesday that the hospitals are simply reinforcing the CDC guidelines.
“As the positive case counts of COVID-19 continue to rise in our community, and as we see a key driver of this rise being asymptomatic spread, we strongly urge all public to follow the CDC recommendation that people wear masks or cloth face coverings in public settings when around people outside of their household, especially when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain or people choose not to follow social distancing measures. Other than mass closures, masks and cloth face coverings are one of the few tools currently available as we seek to mitigate the spread of the disease while we move into a “new normal” of life with COVID-19 among us,” the letter stated.
“We know that in our community, this virus is being spread by people who do not display any symptoms and do not know they are infected. This is why it is critically important for everyone to wear masks or cloth face coverings in public settings and to continue to practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from other people. In situations where a safe distance cannot practically be maintained, it becomes even more imperative for every individual – with or without symptoms of the virus – to wear a mask or cloth face covering,” the letter continued.
The letter was signed by Faulkner, West Florida Hospital CEO Gay Nord, Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola President CEO Dawn Rudolph and Community Health of Northwest Florida Executive Director Chandra Smiley with the statement, “..we stand united in our support of all wearing masks or cloth face coverings for the protection of our community”.
“The letter is not actually us mandating masking obviously, but we are asking and strongly encouraging based upon the science,” Nord said during a morning “Coffee With the Commissioner” online virtual meeting with District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh. “The evidence is there that it works…Now that things have opened back up, we want to err on the side of caution and make sure that we do encourage our citizens to wear masks.”
The Escambia County Commission meets Thursday afternoon at 5:30. Mandatory face coverings are not on the released agenda.
Comments
19 Responses to “Local Health Care Leaders ‘Stand United’ In Urging Face Mask Use In Escambia County”
REGARDING:
“Davis Huie Green, lets table this conversation for now and pick it up in 2021!”
As you wish. We’ll see how he’s doing then.
(I shall probably have other conversations with others in the meantime, though.)
David for patience
We have all heard the expression ” a crisis brings out the worst in some people and the best in some people”. I have just read all the comments posted on this subject and am saddened by all the people who have chosen to be so angry and mean spirited towards their fellow man. In a crisis situation, do we want to be the person who is calm and does what is necessary to help the situation or do we want to be the person who is is so angry about the situation that they are no longer a rational person willing to simply try and make things better? We all like to feel as if we are in control of our little corner of the world, but the fact is that none of us can be in control of everything around us. Life is messy, always has been, always will be. We all experience difficulties from time to time throughout our entire life. There will always be something in our lives that will test our strength and make us choose to pull our selves up from our boot straps or choose to give up. Wearing a mask should only be about trying to protect the health of those around you, those you love as well as strangers. If it works to slow the spread of the virus, great. If it does not work to slow the spread, well it was just a small thing do do to at least try and help. I want to get my life back to normal and I will do anything necessary to help make that happen. I will follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control to try and protect you and those I love.
Personal choice its The United States Of American wear a mask or not I choose not to because freedom of choice so me personally I do not live in fear every day listening to politicians and trying to figure out which #’s to look at.Lots of new cases but death rates are way down so live in a bubble if you want but I’m not and I’ll see post of being selfish,stupid or dump but talk all you want I’m not living in fear and worry every day because it’s an election year.I got a plot at Bayview if I get it and it’s my time to go so be it.Still ain’t wearing no slobber shield!
to all of you nay sayers, you will not need a mask in your coffin. my rights! my rights! pick your battles over something important. this is not about rights, it is about saving a few lives. no matter what dave and his group says, they are just plain wrong! we ask you to wear a mask and you won’t. if we tell you to wear one you won’t. you people are just hard headed and do not care about anything or anybody except your precious self.
Feel free to wear a mask, but don’t make a law requiring it. And don’t pass a law without going through the proper channels. Because I assure you, the first fine or arrest would be met with lawsuits that would cost the county taxpayers a large sum of money.
You cannot order someone to do something without having the authority to enforce it.
Commissioners… PLEASE don’t let hospital administrators dictate our lives. Just reading their letter, I find it disturbing that they expect us to comply with their every demand, as if they are the final word. They are not the voice of every doctor and we are treating them as if they are if we abide by every.single.thing they suggest. They are administrators only, not someone we hire for advice or elect to office. Please do let them pull the strings of our county as Grover and the city counsel allowed them to for the city. Please don’t give them this kind of power…. it’s a slippery slope. Can we just abide by the governors suggestions for the state?
Davis Huie Green, lets table this conversation for now and pick it up in 2021!
“The Democrats are mighty quiet regarding their pick for Vice President.”
Because THE DEMOCRATS as a whole don’t decide. Joe Biden does.
Old as he is, he needs to choose wisely.
“I think it will be Omar”
Because the worst Boogieman of all is bound to be the choice of a man who wants to be elected? She is not eligible to serve as Vice President.
12th Amendment: “…But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Article 2 Section 1 Paragraph 5: “No Person except a natural born Citizen,…shall be eligible to the Office of President..”
“plain to see that Biden is only a puppet.”
Without one bit of evidence, it is plain to see? He defeated all the other candidates , Presidential name-calling, his own history, and even an unlawful attempt to force a foreign government to help beat him.
“She will Immediately take the reins – and we all will be forced to wear face coverings from now on.”
Because she who can not be Vice President or President is Muslim and will therefore insist all men and women wear masks — which even Muslims do not do — because?? A fear without a foundation. Boogieman on Boogieman on Boogieman. (Major Payne would fix the problem.)
“Obama set it in motion.,, And they are fighting for this culture change ever since.”
President Obama who is not a fool or in power or a dictator is pulling the imaginary strings to achieve a goal nobody on the planet desires??
David for mental illness cures
(but first curig COVID-19 — since that ’s probably MUCH easier)
@ Laurie T Hear! Hear! That could not have been written any better.
@ Liberty Oh the humanity! Why wait, sounds like Alabama is calling.
No Laurie T, we won’t stop bickering and being “nasty” until YOUR side stands down! YOUR side is demanding we submit to YOUR way because of YOUR fear. No, we’re not wearing the damn masks and if you don’t like, TOUGH. I can’t wait to see how this progresses through the legal system. As for me and mine, we’re done with Pensacola. If the county tries it, which is doubtful, then we’ll simply shop in Atmore, Brewton or even Baldwin county. You can’t MAKE someone cover THEIR face. Well I suppose you can, if you beat them, demean them, threaten to kill them, and look at them like property. Wait… There’s a group already doing that that the leftist yuppies are awfully tolerant of…
Wearing seatbelts was not required a while ago, but then it was determined to help lower vehicular death and injuries. Now it is the law that you must wear a seat belt, or you may get a ticket or fine. This is generally accepted nationwide without complaint.
I think the science is in that face coverings help, even if it is just a small percentage of improvement over no face coverings, it is a worthwhile practice. It is such a small thing that we can all do, out of courtesy to our fellow citizens, to allow business as usual as best we can in these times.
The Democrats are mighty quiet regarding their pick for Vice President. I think it will be Omar – plain to see that Biden is only a puppet. She will Immediately take the reins – and we all will be forced to wear face coverings from now on. It will take awhile to implement until everyone covers the rest of their face ; (virus gets into hair!) but too late to stop the tide. Obama set it in motion.,, And they are fighting for this culture change ever since.
How ,many of you would allow a Surgeon to operate on them without a mask….enough said………..
I’m SO tired of all the bickering and nastiness — why is mask-wearing even an issue? Stop yelling at each other and calmly, rationally consider what’s happening right now. No one (on either side) is stupid or “anti-American” for believing the way they do — but does the average citizen really understand this disease enough to say they “know” that mask-wearing won’t help? NO, NO, and NO. Case numbers in Florida are astronomical and still rising, hospitals in Escambia County are dangerously close to not being able to handle any more COVID cases; federal, state and local government health agencies ALL recommend wearing masks (for those who are able to), and so do numerous private sector physicians and researchers, and well-respected private universities. At the very least, they are saying masks “could” help. There’s a chance they will prevent the vulnerable from catching a life-changing (or life-ending) disease, and they might prevent some businesses from closing down and people losing their jobs, and they might just even keep our economy going and prevent the catastrophe of another shutdown. Are there any good reasons not to wear a mask? A miniscule chance a person who wears one all day without changing it, and does so for days on end, and never washes or throws them out, might get sick. For the vast majority of us, all we have to do is wear a mask for a small amount of time when we go places where we can’t keep our distance (grocery stores, doctors offices, etc.) No mask when you’re at home, in your car, or anywhere you’re able to keep a mere 6 feet of distance from your neighbor. It’s an annoyance, it can be hot, and even those of us who are proponents of masks do NOT enjoy them. But if even one life is saved because I wore a mask, the price is so very small. It’s a pandemic, we don’t have the luxury of just going on like nothing is happening. We’re all learning how to survive as best we can. Sometimes we have to be uncomfortable, many are afraid of the unknowns, and some will get very sick or even die. Look out for each other. Exercise a little compassion. Wear the damn mask. Until it isn’t needed any more, the day we all will celebrate our victory over COVID.
I wholeheartedly believe masks can help to some fraction of a percent, but it could be and likely be outweighed by subjects not wearing correctly and touching face, mask, and mouth all day, and reusing the nasty mask. Walk through Home Depot for 20 minutes and you’ll see customers and employees doing all of the above. Let businesses decide if unmasked can enter. No shirt no shoes no mask no service is completely legal on private property. Free markets work. Billions in science grants every year and our scientists and CDC can’t provide some cold hard facts on masks and viruses. Ashamed at our science community.
If the Mask is so they great why can’t we go see our loved ones that are in the Hospital
Thanks, BT. That speeds things up.
David for helpful people
Please call your commissioner and tell them they’d best not vote for something like what the Commies in Pensacola voted for. It’s one thing to ask, admonish, and request; but demanding it at the threat of fines is highly unAmerican. Doesn’t matter that others are scared or “mUH Sciienz” says you’re safer with masks. This is outrageous and I think the North Escambia voters will retaliate come election day. If you’re that scared, get out and go live in a deep blue enclave. Your incredibly high taxes and corrupt Dem pols will make sure you don’t catch the ‘Rona.
Insert obligatory comment about “freedom”, “mainstream media”, and “sheep” here.
“Scientists are always wrong and I know this because I listened to somebody else and believe him more because he reinforces my beliefs”