Paediatrician Advocates For Wearing Of Face Masks To Cut Down Covid19 Spread in Florida

• Dr. Rivkees has had a low profile in the past two months of the panfemic.
• He believes asymptomatic infected persons need to wear face masks to reduce the disease spread in Florida.
• With a reported 4,000 new cases, this Florida’s highest daily total yet, after a week of record breaking numbers.

The Department of Health advisory lists some exceptions to its recommendation for masks, including children under the age of 2, individuals with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent wearing a face covering, people who work “in a profession where use of a face covering is not compatible with the duties of the profession” and people “engaged in outdoor work or recreation with appropriate social distancing in place.”

But Rivkees, a pediatrician who has had a low profile in last two months of the pandemic, followed the advice of the Florida Medical Association, the state’s largest and most politically influential physicians group.

Last week, the FMA urged Floridians to use face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and called on local officials to adopt regulations requiring face masks in public places.

“The science is clear,” said Ronald F. Giffler, the FMA president and a Pompano Beach physician. “Asymptomatic infected individuals can release infectious aerosol particles while breathing and speaking. Not wearing a mask or face covering increases exposure.”

The same day the DOH advisory was issued, the state reported more than 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 — the highest daily total yet in Florida, after a week of record-breaking numbers

The governor has said the median age of Floridians with COVID-19 is lowering, with the average age of individuals testing positive in June now 37, compared to March when it was 65 1/2. He said Saturday that many people are testing positive while showing no symptoms, a cause for alarm among health professionals who fear the virus will continue to spread throughout the state as people who test positive go about their daily business.

Several local governments have issued local orders mandating people wear face masks in public places, including those in the Florida Keys, Miami Beach, Tampa and all of Orange County. Miami-Dade has required masks since April, and the order now includes all businesses, parks, beaches and marinas. Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Friday that local police and code enforcement officers will be monitoring businesses and public spaces to ensure people are following social distancing guidelines and the county’s mask requirements.

The governor noted on Friday that “we’re starting to see an erosion of social distancing,” saying that it was “probably among the younger population.” He said the health department would launch public service announcements reminding Floridians to wash their hands frequently and to observe social distancing.