LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – Broward County residents who are out and about are now expected to wear a face covering, which residents hope puts a stop to the rising COVID-19 case numbers.
“Even though we are in public, it is not that hard to put a mask on for a couple of minutes,” resident Bob Decker said Thursday. “Do your part. If everybody does their part, this will go away quicker.”
The county’s order announced Wednesday makes face coverings mandatory for people outdoors who cannot maintain a safe social distance of 6 feet or more.
In the latest numbers released Thursday, Broward’s COVID-19 cases increased by 531 to 17,116, and the county’s death toll rose by nine to 394.
“I think more people wearing masks will lead to less cases,” resident Shania Mahmood said.
Customers and employees also must wear masks inside businesses and establishments. The same goes for common areas of residential buildings and communities.
It’s an effort that should be a given, and not an inconvenience, according to residents Local 10 News spoke with Thursday.
“We want to all do our part to make sure that we can open up these schools and get our economy jump-started, or else we are going to be in trouble,” Decker said. “So we should all do our part.”
Added resident Sofia Vigeant: “I don’t think it is an inconvenience at all given the circumstances and what is going on.”
The county’s beaches will be closed for the July 4 weekend, and changes are also coming to restaurants. The latest order stops all dine-in services from midnight to 5 a.m.
The order doesn’t impact delivery, drive-thru, pickup or take-out services during those overnight hours.
The full order can be read below: