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Jacksonville Beach Mayor: Mandatory mask ordinance is not in the best interest of residents

Although, the Jacksonville Beach mayor said he and his fellow leaders do have some decisions to make if things continue going in the wrong direction.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Jacksonville Beach Mayor Charlie Latham said he and the other beach mayors meet with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry almost daily, and they are all in agreement that a mandatory mask ordinance is not in the best interest of their people.

He explained one big issue is how the ordinance would be enforced.

For example, Latham said there are between 25,000 to 35,000 people in Jacksonville Beach and just 68 police officers.

“I can’t possibly imagine watching the 68 police officers running around writing tickets to people because they don’t have masks on," Latham described.

He added that several counties in Central and South Florida are being sued for requiring people to wear masks in public -- claiming the government mandate is infringing on a person's constitutional right to privacy.

Although, the Jacksonville Beach mayor said he and his fellow leaders do have some decisions to make if things continue going in the wrong direction, and the Duval mayors have some ideas in the works.

“We are going to continue to monitor the [COVID-19] numbers and we have a couple of other options we’ve considered as a group," he said. "We’re not ready to talk about it in the public yet, but it doesn’t involve mandatory masks.”

Latham says, for now, the Duval County mayors want to do a better job of informing the community about the latest COVID-19 statistics and continue encouraging residents to wear masks.

“Take some responsibility to do the right thing for you and your family," he said. "Don’t just depend on the government to do the right thing for everybody [and] don’t put your family into a dangerous environment.”

The discussion of requiring people to wear masks in public comes after some businesses and bars at the beaches close to clean -- some as a precaution, others reported employees and customers had tested positive. 

The CDC is planning to update its mask usage recommendations.

The new guidance is expected soon.

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