Yesterday, St. Johns County Commission voted 3-1 to require visitors and county employees to wear face coverings in county government facilities and buildings.
Commissioner Paul Waldron missed the vote because he has been hospitalized for COVID-19.
The next step is for the county administrator to issue an emergency order to require face coverings in county facilities and working out the details such as exceptions for medical issues.
A motion to make the face mask mandatory county-wide failed to pass earlier in the meeting.
St. Johns County – home to St. Augustine – has a population of 264,672 – 53,644 less than Escambia County. It has 2,586 cases among its residents. Escambia has twice as many cases among Florida residents – 5,360.
St. Johns 128 hospitalizations and 16 deaths
Escambia 281 hospitalizations (double St. Johns) and 62 deaths (almost 4 times greater).
Escambia County Janice Gilley has yet to require nearly 2,000 employees or visitors to county government facilities and buildings to wear face coverings.
Commissioner Lumon May was the only commissioner to wear a face mask at the July 16 board meeting.