[toeser]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Well this is what happens when you have people making decisions, who reject science and even the actual evidence in front of their own faces.

Now granted, the initial closures were intended to reduce hospitalization, freeing up more beds and allowing medical professionals to catch up with the pandemic.

So I get that now that the virus has slowed some, they want to re-open. But FLORIDA never actually shut down. The state. Individual towns had various and sundry mandates, but the state didn't ever shut down. The virus was still free to spread, and simply funneled its way through the state, around the closed areas wherever people would bring it.

And since there was no mask mandate - and not only no mask mandate but Ocala's sheriff actually forbade mask wearing in his offices...

well all that happened was, the virus just slowed down a little, waiting for the opportunity to snap right back on up again. Now the state is encouraging people to gather in groups, unmasked, no social distancing - the science deniers are out en masse, getting all up close and personal, while those of us who are still "only" cautiously optimistic are told to stay home if it bothers us.

I'll continue to wear my mask in buildings that aren't my own property. And if you don't like seeing me wearing it, then stay home. I have the right to wear it, and you don't have the right to make me take it off.

There are "science deniers" on both sides of this equation. For example, in some areas restaurants have been totally shut down while a study out of New York showed that less than 2% of cases that were traced came from restaurants. Something like 8% of cases were traced to healthcare facilities and over 70% of cases were traced to private social gatherings.