Pasco County Requiring Face Masks Indoors Effective Immediately

PASCO COUNTY, FL — After experiencing a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the younger population, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles has issued an executive order requiring everyone in Pasco County to use face coverings while indoors at a business or county government facility, effective immediately.

Exceptions to the order include children under the age of 2 and anyone with an existing health condition that would be complicated by wearing a mask. Pasco County Code Enforcement will begin enforcing this order Thursday at 5 p.m., focusing first on education.

Face Covering Order Requirements:

• Face coverings should cover nose and mouth
• Order applies to all businesses and county government facilities open to the public
• Businesses must ensure compliance with this order
• Businesses in violation of this order could face a fine of up to $250

To read the full order, click here.

The order comes on the local medical experts sounding the alarm following an uptick in the number of positive coronavirus tests. Health officials say the state is experiencing an increase in positive test results in the 25-34-year-old age bracket since the state reopened businesses last month.

"A lot more is known now about the coronavirus than four months ago," said Dr. Charles Lockwood, dean of the Morsani College of Health at the University of South Florida. "It's unprecedented in the history of medicine. The coronavirus is twice as infectious as influenza and about 20 times more lethal."

Dr. Jason Wilson, an emergency room doctor at Tampa General Hospital said the number of seriously adults he's seeing in the emergency room in the 25- to 34-year-old age range is growing.

"We have a rapidly escalating epidemic here in the area," he said. Last week "we saw the flood gates open for people who had contracted the virus, mostly in social situations. The number was well over 10 percent."

On Monday a 33-year-old woman with no health complications died at the hospital. Another 24-year-old patient is in the intensive care unit on a respirator, Wilson said.

A new survey by TGH and USF showed that those who wore masks had a 20 percent positive rate while those who didn't wear masks had a 70 to 80 percent positive rate.

Researchers estimate that 230,000 to 450,000 cases can be averted with face masks.

Graphic courtesy USF Health and TGH

Graphic courtesy USF Health and TGH

As of Tuesday, there were 954 cases in Pasco County with 17 deaths and 113 hospitalizations. The median age of those testing positive in Pasco County is 42 years old.

Last week, the DOH reported the death of a 17-year-old boy in Pasco County, the youngest death in the state related to the coronavirus.

Biles said either homemade or store-bought cloth face coverings are best to reduce the risk of spreading or becoming infected with the coronavirus. Face masks will be available for free at all Pasco County libraries, Pasco County Tax Collector's offices and the West Pasco County Government Center main lobby Wednesday after 10 a.m.

To report a violation of the face coverings order, call Pasco County Customer Service at 727-847-2411, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As a reminder, businesses can purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and apply for reimbursement through the Pasco CARES Small Business PPE Program.

For a list of coronavirus testing sites in Pasco County, click here.

See related stories:

• Hillsborough Approves Mandatory Face Mask Order For Businesses
• Pasco Superintendent Tests Positive For Coronavirus
• 17-Year-Old Pasco Boy Youngest In Florida To Die Of Coronavirus
• Face Masks Mandatory In Tampa Starting At 5 p.m. Friday