MIAMI LAKES, Fla. – A woman who was refusing to wear a face mask resorted to shouting about “the freedom and the right of an individual” on Wednesday in Miami-Dade County.
The woman argued with both shoppers and employees at the Lowe’s Home Improvement in Miami Lakes. She was surrounded by house plants at the store’s Garden Center, a roofed outdoor area.
Her temper flared when shoppers sided with Lowe’s employees, and they too asked her to comply with the store’s policy. She refused to and insulted them.
“You are ugly and it’s pathetic how the world is going to come to with you people,” she said. “It’s disgusting.”
Sebastian Cedeño was also shopping there, and he decided to record her erratic behavior. His video shows she eventually draped a thin cloth over her face before walking inside the store with a police officer.
“Just wear a mask,” Cedeño said after the incident. “It’s not hard ... at that point, you are just risking everybody’s lives.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people wear masks anywhere they will be around other people. This is to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and its more contagious variants.
Starting Feb. 2, the CDC required people to wear face masks when riding planes, buses, trains, or other forms of public transportation. Also, when they are in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
Since evidence suggests singing, chanting, or shouting increases the risk of infection, the CDC has recommended the practice of both face mask use and social distancing as preventive measures. This also applies to people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Florida Department of Health, 33,589 people have died of COVID-19 in Florida, including 32,957 Florida residents and 632 non-residents. FDOH reports 5,767 were in Miami-Dade.
How to wear a face mask correctly
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before putting on a face mask.
- Handle a face mask only by the ear loops or ties.
- Make sure the face mask covers your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
- Do not touch the face mask when wearing it. If you have to adjust your mask, then it doesn’t fit you properly, and you may need to find a different mask or make adjustments.
- To remove it, carefully untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops. Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth. Fold the outside corners together, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer immediately after removing the mask.
- Reusable masks should be washed regularly.
Source: The CDC