Despite explicit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines saying just that.
I have weighed it out for the past 2 weeks," according to a memo Woods wrote to staff, provided to NBC News by the sheriff's office.
The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t."
This policy applies to all 900 department employees, and Woods said his decision is final.County, with a population of about 365,000, is in heart of Florida's Horse County. The county seat is in Ocala, which is about 40 miles south of Gainesville.
The second biggest policing agency in Marion County, has no policy explicitly mandating or barring mask use by employees — but it "encourages" officers and civilian workers to don facial coverings, an OPD spokeswoman said Wednesday.
A COVID-19 "address alert from dispatch."
Woods anticipates push back from the community and told employees to walk away from anyone criticizing his measure."If at any time you are confronted by any individual complaining, berating you or just being a difficult individual, you will politely and professionally tell them 'I am not required to wear a mask nor will I, per the Order of the Sheriff' and then walk away from them," the sheriff wrote.
"From that point on it will be my burden and responsibility to take care of the person and answer their problem, complaint or their question."
The policy would be in full force inside any sheriff buildings and civilians coming into that office would be barred from wearing a mask.
If that civilian doesn't want to go mask-less, he or she will be asked to exit the building and leave a cell phone number so they could called and invited back inside when a sheriff's employee is free to meet with them.
"In light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today, this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby," Woods wrote. "All of our lobbies have glass barriers between you and them that the virus cannot magically go thru."
The "local health department was not consulted" by Sheriff Woods before he issued his anti-mask directive, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County said on Wednesday.
The agency rep would only say: "We recommend adherence to the state surgeon general’s health advisory, and the wearing of cloth face coverings/masks when unable to practice social distancing is an important part of that."
Fter Mayor Kent Guinn vetoed an ordinance that requires face masks inside any business in the city. The mask debate has also been raging inside Ocala City Council chambers.
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