Deutch demands DeSantis sign statewide mandatory mask order

With Florida experiencing another spike in COVID-19 cases, House Democrats like Rep. Ted Deutch (D) is once again demanding that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (D) issue a statewide mask order to prevent further spread of the virus.

According to a letter Rep. Deutch sent to Gov. DeSantis, it is estimated that “95% mask use” could possibly prevent 100,000 nationwide deaths from the virus by February.

Deutch accuses Gov. DeSantis of failing Floridians “when he refused to issue a mandatory mask order” over this past summer, but doesn’t list sources to his claim, only that The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other health officials have been warning of a potentially “severe wave of COVID-19” during the winter months.

“Studies estimate 95% mask use could save 100,000 lives across the country by Feb,” wrote Deutch. “I’m demanding he issue a mask order now before the next wave to save lives.”

Florida’s top Democrat, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is also asking DeSantis for a “statewide mask order,” saying that “herd immunity” will not prevent people from catching the virus, rather masks will.

According to state COVID-19 statistics, now more women are contracting the disease than men, and the median age of infection is 40-years-old, but deaths are down.

To date, there have more than 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID in Florida, with 49,000 hospitalizations, and roughly 17,000 dead.

The COVID issue has taken center stage in the 2020 presidential election, where the majority of Americans feel former Vice President Joe Biden would do a better job in dealing with the pandemic than President Donald Trump.