A Quinnipiac University poll published yesterday found 79% of registered Florida voters believe people in the state should be required to wear face masks in public people. Only 20% are opposed to mask requirements.
In late June, a Inweekly/Political Matrix poll found 72.4% of the county’s voters supported Escambia County mandating the wearing of face masks. Support for mandating masks was across all five county commission districts. The districts of Doug Underhill (D2), Luman May (D3) and Robert Bender (D4) Â had over 70% in favor of mandatory face masks.
The Quinnipiac University survey also found 70% percent of registered Florida voters believe the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is “out of control,†while 24% believe it is “under control.â€
Escambia County is in COVID epidemic mode – cases and hospitalizations have tripled since June 30 and deaths have increased 173%. Nursing homes are once again hot beds for the virus – even though they have been in lockdown since March.
County commissioners are frustrated that the county administrator hasn’t allowed any inmate  at the county jail who requests a specimen collection to be tested. They aren’t happy that she has refused to require face masks of county employees and visitor to county buildings.
The majority of the public wants face masks mandatory.
Meanwhile Mike Lowery, president of ATU Local 1395, reports ECAT has another positive confirmed COVID case – a bus operator.Â
“I met with upper ECAT Management and a County HR Representative and expressed that the Union wants at ECAT better enforcement within the ECAT building and the wearing of mask requirements and social distancing of the workforce in break rooms,” he said.
“The Union wants mandated and reasonable policy measures enforced without formal discipline being the punishment,” Lowery added. “Simply requiring employees to follow the COVID policies and if they do not, they will be not be allowed to work. “
According to him,  Transit Director Tonya Ellis said she is willing to work with the Union on these requests. Â
“I am very pleased that ECAT Management is working with me on this,” Lowery said. “I also highly recommend and truly believe that mandatory masks should be required on all ECAT and ECCT County owned vehicles. Transit systems across the country are following this requirement.”