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What happens to Jacksonville's mask mandate now?

City has "no plans" to lift local mask mandate, despite Gov. Ron DeSantis' announcement he will waive penalties against violators.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis' vision for the the state's third and final phase of COVID-19 recovery created confusion for some local governments and businesses that have mask mandates in place.

DeSantis said on Friday he will no longer permit enforcement of either social distancing rules or mask mandates. He indicated the suspension of any penalties would be retroactive.

“All outstanding fines and penalties that have been applied against individuals are suspended," he said at Friday's press conference in St. Petersburg.

Jacksonville is one of many cities, including several in South and Central Florida, which implemented local mask mandates in the absence of statewide requirements. 

Mayor Lenny Curry's executive order of June 29 requires people in Duval County to wear masks in public and indoor locations when social distancing is not possible. The city of St. Augustine has a similar mask mandate, though St. Johns County does not.

In statement to media on Friday, Mayor Curry maintained the city was unaffected by DeSantis' announcement. "Duval County currently has no restrictive orders in place impacted by the Governor’s decision to move into Phase 3," the statement said. 

Asked specifically about mask mandate, mayoral spokesperson Nikki Kimbleton said on Saturday, "We have not made any decisions at this time. Mayor Curry plans to talk with all of the hospital administrators next week, as well as other medical experts. If we do lift the mandate, then businesses will still have the right to require masks if they choose."

On Monday, she sent a more succinct message: "We have no plans to lift the mask mandate at this time."

The mayor did extend the mask mandate by another 30 days, over the weekend, rather than let it expire.

The fact that Jacksonville hasn't enforced its mask mandate with fines or penalties appears to insulate the city from DeSantis' order, which is focused specifically on declawing local regulations. In what he defined as "an act of executive grace," he said "all outstanding fines and penalties that have been applied against individuals are suspended."

"I think we need to get away from trying to penalize people for social distancing and and just work with people constructively," he said. 

DeSantis also prohibited local governments from restricting restaurant capacity by more than 50 percent. In March, Mayor Curry capped indoor restaurant and bar capacity at 50 percent, which just skirts the threshold of the governor's recent order. 

“They can operate at a minimum of 50 percent, regardless of local rule," DeSantis said. "What that means for restaurants is that there will not be limitations in the state of Florida. I think this will be very important to the industry."

The decision to go to Phase 3 was an economic one, with DeSantis saying the state could not move forward in "a fetal position."

But he also said the virus data supported his decision, citing lower hospitalization rates and percent positives related to the virus. "All of these indicators have gone down since July," he said. "We need everyone to be able to go to work.”

Previously DeSantis said Phase 3 would begin when “there is no evidence of a rebound or resurgence of COVID-19 cases.”

Despite the governor's rollback of enforceable mask requirements, the Center for Disease Control maintains masks are the most effective means of stopping the spread of COVID-19. According to CDC officials, if every American started wearing masks outside of their homes, the U.S. could have the pandemic under control in four to eight weeks.

Florida never implemented a statewide requirement to wear masks, although 20 states have.

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