- April 24, 2024
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While Volusia County won't be making wearing face mask in public mandatory, it is highly recommending residents wear one.
Community Information Director Kevin Captain said during a press conference on Friday, June 19, that wearing a face covering public is especially important when a 6-foot distance is unable to be maintained. The recommendation came on the same day the Florida Department of Health reported over 3,800 new cases of COVID-19, 60 of which came from Volusia County.
“Your mask protects others, and theirs protects you,” Captain said.
The county believes a mandatory mask regulation would be hard to enforce, and urged businesses to ask their staff and customers to wear them.
“Our objective is voluntary compliance, with getting people to wear their face masks and we feel the most effective approach to make that happen is by continuing to hammer the point to wear the mask," Captain said. "It’s not all about regulation. It’s more about our community taking care of itself and others for our health and for our economy.”
Holly Smith, communications manager for DOH in Volusia County, said unlike the previous spikes of coronavirus, the numbers from the last few days are not a result of increased testing. They are also not associated with a longterm care facility. Volusia has seen an increase of cases in ages 20-34, and 40% of the new cases from the last two weeks fall in that range, Smith said.
Smith added that one-third of the people testing positive for the coronavirus do not have symptoms.
“These asymptomatic COVID positive people can be spreading the virus to others without even knowing that they are sick, Smith said. "These asymptomatic spreaders only find out if they have COVID by getting tested.”
A free testing site will open on Wednesday and Thursday, June 24-25, in the corner of Jean Street and Orange Avenue in Daytona Beach. Anyone will be able to get tested. The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and residents may register by calling 386-274-0500 and selecting #.
DOH is also distributing free cloth face masks. To obtain one, visit one of the DOH locations in Daytona, DeLand or Orange City.
