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Editor, The Beacon:
I find myself having to voice my opinion yet again concerning the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in our small community.
First, I commend the mayor and council members for finally instituting a mask mandate (a little too late, but it should hopefully begin to help get our numbers down now).
However, with that being said, what good is a mask mandate if it is not enforced by local business or even our Police Department (Who is supposed to be enforcing this after all?).
While I definitely see more people wearing masks now than earlier in the summer when it was “suggested” by the CDC, if businesses continue to allow folks in and out of their stores without a mask, allowing the possibility of continued spread, how does that help reduce our positivity rate, which as of today for the county is still well over what was suggested by the CDC for reopening communities?
Did you know that just a little bit to the south of us in Fort Myers Beach, if you walk into their Publix without a mask, they give you one right at the door and ask you to please put it on? If you are spotted taking it off in the store or not wearing it properly, you are asked again to put it on, or leave the store?
Hmm, our businesses here cannot do the same to enforce the slowdown of a highly contagious and deadly disease?
I am sure that I am not the only one who has missed trips planned to see their children (or others) this summer, who have had a wedding canceled, who have not been able to visit a loved one in the hospital or nursing home, who have not been able to attend a funeral, who still cannot commune with others at their place of worship. How much longer do you want this to continue?
We already are in this longer than should have been necessary because of poor and late implementation of suggested policies to protect us all.
Now that we finally have a small step in place (wearing a mask, for gosh sakes) to stop the spread, please do your part. And that goes for you businesses as well that are too afraid they might make a minority of folks angry by enforcing a mask mandate while in their place of business.
Marta Enders
DeLand
