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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1








Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Hospital Directors Urge Escambia County Commissioners to Act on Masks in Public

I'll be speaking with them tomorrow morning on my Coffee with the Commissioner meeting--but meanwhile the CEO's of Escambia County's 3 Main Hospitals and the Executive Director of Community Health NW have sent this below request to the BCC members late this afternoon....


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I strongly agree. While I normally do favor on the side of personal freedoms and minimal intrusions by government; however, in this case, I believe it only makes plain common sense. Partial mask wearing is not effective considering that most types of masks are worn to minimize the aerosol and help protect others from the wearers exhale. Months ago many were commenting on partial travel bans (one way from China etc.) as not making sense; well, the same logic applies here too. Partial mask wearing makes no sense. If everyone wears a face covering then the reduction of risk is a 360. The obvious is stated. Lets all wear face coverings in public spaces and where else logically needed, try to social distance when possible, and wash hands frequently so we can get this back under control and enjoy business and recreation like before. Its not too much to ask; for our society to do these things until a vaccine is available. To those who cry never, "I'm a free person and I enjoy my freedoms", I here you and agree, but the virus just doesn't care, it just doesn't. Until there's a vaccine or it mutates out we have to accept the reality.

Anonymous said...

I feel like there is also a misunderstanding of liberty around here. Liberty isn't unrestrained freedom. Liberty isn't being able to do "whatever you want." We have certain liberties in this countries, and these liberties preserve individual rights like the right to vote and the right to get married. Sometimes laws are justified to "limit freedom" for protection. Someone could say they have a right or liberty to not wear a seat belt, but the law is justified because it protects people. Arguably, I could say the non-maskers are impinging on my freedom and my liberty by exposing me to a potentially deadly virus that we know how to put under control if we exercised some common sense.

Anonymous said...

"We know in our community the virus is being spread by people without symptoms who don't know they have it." Wow so the virus spreads here a different way than proven to spread elsewhere? How do they know this? Can they provide the data for this statement? Can any of then say they have been in a room caring for a COVID patient or interviewed one? Pander much?

Matt said...

79% of community spread has been done by contaminated but asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or soon to be symptomatic citizens. This is due to the latency period of infection to symptoms if they develop. So the only way to fully help suppress the spread at this point is a mask ruling.

Anonymous said...

This is one simple thing we can do and keep everything open! Come on people if we don't do this we run the risk of everything we care about being shut down. Simple request that will lessen the spread until a vaccine is developed. Not much to ask to protect our parents and grandparents.

Anonymous said...

This is a very bad idea. Where does government draw the line when it comes to our personal freedom. If you do this, then what? Mandatory flu shots required my law? Prohibition?

If you are that worried about the disease, stay home. Don’t go to work. Put yourself in the poor house. The silent majority will oust whoever votes in favor of this during the next election.

Theresa Blackwell said...

I agree with "Matt" and the majority of "Anonymous" commenters who have said we should be wearing masks in public. Many will not do it unless our government leaders require it. Just knowing that their community requires it will be enough for most good citizens to do it. So I back Mayor Robinson completely on this issue and hope the county commissioners will follow his lead.

Kim C said...

The County is creating yet another divide by not implementing a mask mandate for the County. It’s irresponsible & negligent on the County’s part, considering the city is doing their part to keep the spread down. The County’s inaction will eventually force us into another shutdown, therefore creating another class of individuals dependent on the Government’s help. What then? Even if they don’t mandate another shutdown, yet we’ve done nothing to minimize spread, & employees of small businesses continue to get sick, how are these businesses suppose to keep operating without healthy employees?

Being proactive to minimize spread by social distancing, wearing a face covering when needed (to minimize droplet spread), & basic hygiene, really is equivalent to putting on your seatbelt, or having an airbag in your car. Neither is 100 percent full proof, but the majority of the time they help! Common sense goes a long way.

Anonymous said...

When freedom and liberty is abused, then the nation as a whole loses their hard fought freedom. If the people are too free in their thinking to control a pandemic, the nation suffers. People are free to be ignorant.

For instance after 9/11/2001, think of the civil liberties given up for safety. And that was just an isolated incidence. Of course Establishment GOP politicians abused the sentiment of the nation at the time to start the war in Iraq.

Perhaps the county should be more concerned with the NOI announcement coming on July 4. Some are hinting on ECWFS and have it on their public profiles. They have redefined sedition. The USA has allowed freedom and extremism has festered and thrived. Where will that lead?

I wonder who our elected official in D3 follows? Of course one race is not a monolith? Or are they?

Does he support sedition against the rule of law, the NOI chapter in his district, the minority profiteers such as Farakkan and Sharpton or does he follow Tom Sowell, Adam West an others that believe in liberty and justice for all. Does he support the world wide socialist movement attempting to change the constitution of the USA? Does he support the BLM agenda? Ask him. Can't kick the can or sweep it under the rug. You all vote to fund the sheriff.

Why hasn't more checks and balances be put on that constitutional in the state of Florida?

You have one meeting prior to American Independence day. Why don't you all discuss it in the commissioner forum?

Are we all one the same page as Americans here in Escambia?

The mask is just a symptom of the the greater ignorance.

and yes the last meeting you were all close together and not wearing masks nor social distancing.

July 2 -- one more chance to lead.

Anonymous said...

Note the sheriff in Jacksonville willing to deputize gun owners?

A plain clothed armed citizenry may be in the very near future. The more this pandemic gets out of hand and the extremist push their agenda against law and order the more things will change.

Mob Rule vs Rule of Rule of Law.

The attorneys are standing by to make money against the municipalities attempting to protect public safety by a mask ordinance.

Stand your ground.

Anonymous said...

Did the county have to pass a law for the common norm called, No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service? I don't think so. Why is this different? I say let the businesses decide if they wish to serve unmasked people. Businesses can already deny service to anyone and tell them to leave. If someone doesn't want to wear a mask they can go somewhere else. And that'll be me.

Anonymous said...

I note in a video you said you had not been on facebook, which is understandable, since you all have so much information to process.

There are some real strange profiles with a microphone on there though locally. They have a BLM protect organized for the beach on the 4th of July amid all the traffic. That is not in the city limits of Pensacola.

It appears there are some people that think BLM is an equality movement and haven't kept up with the information that is is treason, and others knowing it is but still support it.

I believe the leaders are hoping this diffuses and people are waking up one by one.

Hope no one gets hurt on the 4 of July. The fist of socialism is raised.

Mask or no mask.

Pay attention to the bigger picture unfolding in the county and country.

Anonymous said...

https://247sports.com/college/west-virginia/Board/103782/Contents/BLM-Adopts-the-Clenched-Fist-of-Communism-As-Its-Symbol--148367695/

Anonymous said...

Wants to Defund the sheriff department https://www.facebook.com/maryclaire.e.robinson/posts/3243699302348803?__cft__[0]=AZVY6B7DmS4gF-zmQhsq2_4ll7DBsXIYLtTpks2jjGYWAm5H71nzMDt-on4KjwtW_0zxiq2ytoCHHTdu2G0dZRvIpKlt_BQYFnZz1me3Z0CzYp5JIADwBcfTSe9aHQSrFSQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Anonymous said...

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 ruling for the state?

Anonymous said...

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 ruling for the state?

Anonymous said...

The greater issue is not about masks. It's about personal freedom. Both sides can argue for or against whether wearing a mask is a good or bad (or ever-changing) idea, but at the end of all the arguments is the idea of whether a government can force a citizen to wear something against their will or shut down a private company if they do not comply with putting something on their face. Think about it.
And secondly, what does enforcement of a non-law look like? Who will issue the fines? What authority will there be to arrest someone? Because if that is not part of the mask "order", then it's only a suggestion and should be treated as such.

Better get a program said...

I hope you and the Mayah suggest that the businesses have a written respiratory protection program in place when you and they mandate mask wearing. I hope you understand that any facial hair negates any protection a mask will provide. I also hope you understand that once you mandate a mask wearing mandification (yeah, I made that up) you must provide an initial fit test, a pulmonary function test and an annual pulmonary function test to make sure the mask is doing it's job.
Since you're professionals or at least take advice from professionals, I assume you know what's best.

Political Advertisement Paid For and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican for Escambia Commission D1