. @pbcgov commission chambers are full this morning, and there’s a great lack of mask-wearing despite them being required in county-owned buildings. @pbpost

Background on today's discussion below.

The county's public affairs department told me they received ~500 online public comments for this item, and an overwhelming majority are in favor of requiring wearing facial coverings. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200622/palm-beach-county-commissioners-likely-to-mandate-masks

There's outburst in the audience that commissioners combined a presentation by @HealthyFLPBC's Dr. Alina Alonso with the vote on mandating masks into one item.

You can watch along here. Dr. Alonso is speaking now: http://discover.pbcgov.org/Pages/CH20Live.aspx

In terms of positivity rate, "Our numbers are going in the wrong direction," Alonso says.

Alonso: "Facial coverings in public help stop the spread of the virus."

The audience in the chamber is not having it, calling Alonso a liar.

Vice Mayor @RobertWeinroth asks Alonso if the county mandates masks, does that mean we abandon physical distancing?
Alonso: "You and I need to teach them to do both."

The audience gasped.

Commissioner @VoteMcKinlay asks about re-infection.

Alonso: "Nothing is sure about the virus. It's still new. It's still being studied. ... Even if you are positive and you've been positive, you shouldn’t go around thinking 'I’m Superman now and nothing can happen to me.'"

Commissioner Hal Valeche: "I have not seen a positivity rate that low throughout the whole episode (reported yesterday, 6.1%). I think we need to remain vigilant, but the situation is under control. I don't want the public to get the impression we are in a crisis."

Commissioner @GreggPbc requests some videos he received from West Palm Beach to be shown to the public. A few videos showed nightclubs with people crowded together.

One person in the audience scoffs at showing the video: "Isn't that racist? That's the minority community."

County Administrator Verdenia Baker says officials looked at emergency orders from Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and others.

If commissioners approve that today, she will have the order ready no later than tomorrow.

Baker: @PBCountySheriff said if mask mandate was approved, he would enforce the law.

"If it’s absolutely necessary, then enforcement will be done. But our goal is education and to bring people and businesses especially in compliance."

Baker: "We cannot in good conscience continue to open businesses if we are not flattening the curve."

Valeche wants to amend Weiss' motion to approve a mandatory mask order to end it within 30 days, so the commission can come together and see if the order was effective.

There are 55 public comment cards, at 2 minutes apiece.

Former state Rep. Irv Slosberg says not mandating masks is "not just misguided, it's dangerous."

Angelique Contreras, who has attended several commission meetings opposing wearing masks, says she and people like her are being treated like criminals.

The next speaker: "Correlation does not equal causation."

She says there is a lack of data, such as # of people who have recovered and # of people who are asymptomatic who have tested positive.

She believes there is no data that can prove the lack of masks contributes to spread

The next speaker asks if the commission is part of the Deep State.

"Every single one of you are going to be punished by God."

Current speaker: says Cuba gov't used 'snitch lines' and she draws comparisons to people complaining about others who don't wear masks.

"Cuba likes that. They're proud of you guys right now."

Public speaker: "My concern as a nurse/grandma is I am hearing that the county is going to be prescribing a medical means that’s unsolicited by the people on a whole."

She compares mask wearing to Holocaust. "You’re forcing people to wear masks. They were forced to wear a star."

Kerner has scolded the crowd when they cheer for public commenters, so they now show their support by throwing up jazz hands.

Also, a Trump flag is being held up in the back.

People are unnerved that most of the commissioners said they would support the mask mandate before this meeting

"You disgrace me," Butch Diaz said. "You could have at least faked it. You do not care about 'We the People.'"

The next speaker, Jane Justice: "We're going to arrest patriots for not wearing masks? We know what side you're on. It's all coming from the top. And I say, Trump 2020."

Next speaker, Matt Milligan: "I did not ask for you to come into my life. ... "If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. Do not put it on business owners. Don't put it on police. Do not put it on the individuals who want a choice."

Weinroth: "I hate the idea of talking about face coverings. It goes against my grain. ... But the numbers we saw this week were just out of this world."

Weiss tries to pacify crowd by saying he listens to their voicemails, reads emails and listened to public comment.
"Unfortunately, this virus chose to come now. We didn't pick it, it picked us."
He reads the latest FDOH # for PBC, 284 new cases & 10.7% + rate

Audience: "Lies."

We have 2 competing motions, both support mandatory masks.

From Weinroth: only civil citations, only required indoors where public welcome and revisit in 30 days.

From Weiss: revisit in 4 months, required to wear mask in public where physical distancing not possible.

McKinlay: "This idea that we are somehow trampling the U.S. Constitution doesn't resonate with me."

Some folks start to leave chambers, yelling "Bullshit!"

Valeche doesn't support revisiting in four months.

"I don't think we should be putting a term that long on this with no knowledge of what the situation is going to be like two or three months from now."

Palm Beach County Commissioners unanimously support mandating masks. This is the response

The chamber was cleared as a cleaning crew is wiping down chairs and surfaces. As many as 8 deputies are standing around the chamber

County Mayor Dave Kerner spoke to the press after the vote. Here’s some of what he had to say, but the important part:
-Mask mandate is indefinite, but commissioners can call for a vote to rescind the mandate.
-Req’d indoors where public is welcome, but some exemptions apply

Here's the initial story, which will be updated: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200623/masks-mandatory-palm-beach-county-commission-decides