SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – To mask or not to mask? That is the question asked at SRQ.
The federal mask mandate requiring passengers on public transportation to wear a mask at all times is set to expire on September 13th. Some people here at SRQ airport say it should be extended. Others say it shouldn’t.
“We should extend it,” visiting from Maryland, Dawn Kilinski said. “I mean with the Delta variant coming through, I think that the mask mandate should continue.”
“I don’t think all the science and all the data is in yet,” Nokomis resident, Tomkins said. “It’s not hard to do. And better safe than sorry. We’re protecting lives, so why not do that.”
“They should end it on that date,” North Port resident, Hayden Marlene said. “I figure when the good Lord wants us, he’s going to take us anyhow, so Delta variant or not.”
I don’t think you have to wear it anywhere else, so I don’t why you would have to wear it in the airport any longer,” visiting Michael Sopata said.
The CDC reports COVID-19 cases are on the rise in nearly 90-percent of the nation, and we’re seeing outbreaks in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage.
“With the uptick that they’ve seen with the Delta variant, I don’t anticipate that it will change,” President & CEO, SRQ Airport Rick Piccolo said.
That is the September 13th expiration date. Piccolo says there has only been one incident where a person had to be removed from a plane for not wearing a mask.
“We’re not arresting people, but they did escort the person out of the terminal and they couldn’t fly,” Piccolo said.
The CDC reports almost 900 new cases in Sarasota County in the past week. And about 56-percent of residents are fully vaccinated.
As of this week in Florida, more than 22 million doses have been given out, but only about 10 million people are fully vaccinated. That’s about 48-percent of the state’s population. One Sarasota visitor says since the Florida vaccination rates are relatively low.
“It’s a price we have to pay,” Tim Kilinski said. “Public places like hospitals, airports, stuff like that should keep the mandate.”
Others disagree.
“If you’re fully vaccinated, you shouldn’t have to wear one,” Sopata said.
While passengers have mixed feelings about the masks, Piccolo said they will follow federal government mandates.
When SNN reached out to the Transportation Security Administration spokesperson, said there is no update at this time.
Today, the federal officials said they may recommend people who are vaccinated to wear masks indoors where COVID-19 cases are spiking.
