COLLIER COMMISSIONERS: APPEAL FOR EXTENDING MASKS TO HOLD A MINIMUM 60% TO 80% OF THE COUNTY POPULATION MASKED UP AS NEEDED TO KEEP THE COUNTY'S CURVE FLAT.
*see Commissioner emails below if you want to reach out before Thursday 10/22/20.
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EMAILS TO REACH YOUR COLLIER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
Penny.Taylor@colliercountyfl.gov,
Andy.Solis@colliercountyfl.gov,
Donna.Fiala@colliercountyfl.gov,
Burt.Saunders@colliercountyfl.gov,
Bill.McDaniel@colliercountyfl.gov
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ARGUMENT: EXTENDING MASKS TO HOLD A MINIMUM OF 60 PERCENT TO 80 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY POPULATION MASKING UP AS NEEDED TO KEEP THE COUNTY'S CURVE FLAT UNTIL WIDELY AVAILABLE TREATMENTS AND VACCINES BECOME AVAILABLE. NO FINES NECESSARY, NO FOLKS MEDICALLY CHALLENGED WEARING A MASK NECESSARY, NO ANTI-MASKERS NECESSARY.
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Under Florida Law, e-mail addresses are public records.
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POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM SOLIS:
From Collier County Commissioner Andy Solis
Mon, Oct 19, 9:29 PM (11 hours ago)
Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding the potential expiration of the county’s mask order. I truly appreciate you taking the time to be an engaged citizen; it is so important in the process.
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In case you don’t receive my email newsletter, I wanted you to know that I did request a special Board of County Commissioners meeting on this topic, which is now scheduled for Thursday afternoon; read more below. If you do subscribe, and this is a duplicate for you, I apologize.
Again, I thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for your participation in our community.
Sent on behalf of Commissioner Andy Solis
By Angela Goodner, Executive Coordinator
Andy Solis, Esq., District 2 Commissioner
Collier County Board of County Commissioners
Phone: 239.252.8602
Solis Newsletter on Mask Order Meeting Oct. 22:
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M A S K O R D E R U P D A T E
I have heard from literally hundreds of you over the last few days sharing your belief that the county's mask order is an important public health measure that is saving lives and helping support our local economy. (And yes, also from some who feel it is time to let the order end.) I thank everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts.
As you know, I have long been an advocate of following the advice of our designated public health experts on this issue -- the CDC, Florida and Collier County Health Departments, the Medical Society, our local hospitals. And so last week I requested a special meeting to consider extending Collier County's mask order, as those organizations, along with local business leaders, have recommended. I have just received word that Commissioner Saunders, as Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, has granted that request.
It will require a majority of the commissioner to vote in favor to extend the order.
If you haven't already, I hope you will share your thoughts with them as well.*See emails below
Here are the details for the meeting:
Thursday, October 22 3pm - ?
The meeting will be at the government complex at 3299 Tamiami Trail East -- marked ‘County Admin’ on this map -- beginning at 9am. You may attend in person subject to physical distancing requirements; overflow space is provided. Or you can watch it live online, or on your local government cable channel 97/98. Shortly following the meeting, the video will be available to watch on demand.
Of course you will be able to participate virtually, as well, but that link is not yet available. As soon as the link to register for virtual participation is available, I will post it on my webpage on the County's website, HERE.
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OPEN EMAIL LETTER APPEALING TO THE COMMISSIONERS:
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Dear Commissioners,
We are writing to respectfully request that you continue Collier's Mask Orders in solidarity of flattening the curve and until the County meets CDC Travel Level One status. Right now, anyone leaving the county to travel to NY would have to quarantine for 2 weeks.
While there are no fines since September 25 (for no mask), as the state and county slips below 60% to 80% of those populations; people masking up, we all may be fined with increased infections and deaths. SNS has documented Florida's success at achieving 73% of the population masking up through local mask requirements, such as that which Collier placed, leading to a dive from a 1000% increase in infections (the state's peak mid July (see charts) to a flattened curve in September.
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Please consider that "If we had 60% of the population wearing masks that were 60% effective--you could effectively end the epidemic based on some modeling that has been done," according to former FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, CNBC SPECIAL Q&A, June 17.
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And consider that in another quality simulation, researchers predicted that 80 percent of the population wearing masks would do more to reduce COVID-19 spread than a strict lockdown. Similar results are reported by www.ScienceNewsService.com.
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We will send a county comparison chart showing a 63% increase in daily infection average in Collier County since Sept. 25 on Monday.
In the meantime, we leave you with our latest data graphics. Thank you for your consideration.
R. Marion Bliss
MA Journalism and Public Affairs
SNS Science Writer
Naples, FL
239-289-5823 Cell
239-234-2524 Fax
Bliss, MA, is former science communications specialist for USDA’s chief scientific research agency. As a significant-science publicist, Bliss writes about research-based news and editorials during the pandemic. SNS is a non-profit dedicated to science-based journalism and fact-based editorials.
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