Martin County commissioners rescind mask mandate

It's no longer mandatory to wear face masks in certain places in Martin County.

In a 3 to 2 vote on Tuesday, commissioners decided to rescind the county's mask mandate completely.

MASK MANDATE.

THE COMMISSIONTAKING A VOTE LATE THISAFTERNOON TO REPEAL ITSMANDATE.

WPTV NEWSCHANNEL 5JON SHAINMAN IS IN STUART WITHTHE LATE BREAKING DECISION.<<“THIS IS JUSTUNCONSTITUTIONAL GUYS.

WHAT AREWE DOING HERE SERIOUSLY”)MASK OPPONENTS AND SUPPORTERSOUTLINED THEIR CASES TUESDAY&AS THEYSEVERAL MONTHS.“IT BREAKS MYHEART WEREPEALING THE MASK MANDATEWHEN WEWEAR A MASK, I GET IT, ILISTEN TO THE DOCTORS”)COMMISSIONERS AS A WHOLE SAITHEY BELIEVE IN MASKS.

THEQUESTION WAS WHETHER IT WASWORTH CONTINUING THE EXISTINGMANDATE.“HAVING AN ORDINANCEWITH NO TEETH THAT HAS NOENFORCEMENT IS RIDICULOUS.ITHAD PASSED A MASK ORDINANCE INJULY& LET IT LAPSE IN EARLYAUGUST, THEN REINSTATED IT AFEW WEEKS LATER.

THE DECISIONTO BRING THE ISSUE BACKTUESDAY WAS IN RESPONSE TOGOVERNOR RON DESANTISRECENTORDER TO MOVE FLORIDA INTOPHASE 3, LIFTING RESTRICTIONSON BUSINESSES, AND SUSPENDINGALL FEES AND FINES ON COVIDRELATED MATTERS.“PEOPLE ARELIVING IN FEAR WHEN THEYSHOULD HAVE BEEN EMPOWERED”)AN INITIAL VOTE TO KEEP THEMANDATE IN PLACE FAILED WITH A2-2 TIE.

COMMISSIONER DOUGSMITH, WHO LEFT THE MEETING TOATTEND TO SOME PERSONALBUSINESS, RETURNED LATER INTHE DAY.

HE PROVED TO BE THESWING VOTE TO REPEAL THEMANDATE.“AT THIS POINT, ITHINK PEOPLE ARE PERFECTLYCAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONSFOR THEIR FAMILY..

FOR OTHERSIN THE COMMUNITY, WEHOW THAT GOES”) THE DECISIONDOES NOT IMPACT MARTIN COUNTYSCHOOLS.

A DISTRICTSPOKESWOMAN TELLING ME THATTHE DISTRICT HAS THE AUTHORITYTO MAKE ITSOWN DECISION ONMASKS AND WITH FLU SEASON ONTHE HORIZON, THE MASKREQUIREMENT CONTINUES TO BE ANIMPORTANT RISK MITIGATIONSTRATEGY.

IN STUART, JS WPTVNC 5.