Pasco County Rescinds Executive Order Mandating Face Masks

Correction: Statistics previously given reflected the statewide positivity rate, not the specific positivity rate for Pasco County, which is much higher.

PASCO COUNTY, FL — Opponents of mandatory face masks are breathing a sign of relief following Pasco County government's announcement Monday that it is rescinding its executive order requiring that face masks be worn in most indoor public places.

The new executive order 20-10 rescinding the face mask requirement is effective immediately. The Pasco County Commission passed the order making masks mandatory indoors last June. Mandatory mask orders remain in effect in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

In deciding to relax face covering requirements, Pasco officials said they weighed several factors, including lower coronavirus hospitalization rates and increasing vaccination rates.

The announcement comes on the same day the state began allowing all Florida adults ages 18 and up to be vaccinated and all teens ages 16 and up to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, approved for younger teens.

The Department of Health in Pasco County noted that hospitalization rates for patients with severe coronavirus symptoms have been steadily dropping over the past several weeks, increasing the number of available hospital beds.

Additionally, 70 percent of Pasco County residents age 65 and older have now been vaccinated, and 57 percent of Pasco residents age 50 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

As of Monday, Pasco County reported 37,013 positive cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March 2020 with 2,423 people experiencing symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization and 697 deaths.

While hospitalizations are down, the county is experiencing a gradual upswing in positive coronavirus cases over the past several weeks.

After experience a low of 5 percent positivity in March, the positivity rate in the county has increased to 12.40 percent. The statewide positivity rate is 7.37 percent.

The Department of Health reported that it received 847 test results from Pasco County on Sunday and 105 residents tested positive for coronavirus.

• New Port Richey - total cases 8,487
• Port Richey - total cases 3,015
• Hudson - total cases 2,966
• Dade City - total cases 2,940
• Zephyrhills - total cases 3,903
• Land O' Lakes - total cases 5,143
• Lutz - total cases 153
• Holiday - total cases 2,261
• Wesley Chapel - total cases 5,392
• Trinity - total cases 790
• Odessa - total cases 175
• San Antonio - total cases 281
• Saint Leo - total cases 106

There are some exemptions to the lifting of the face mask rule.

• Face coverings are still required on all Pasco County Public Transportation buses in accordance with Transportation and Security Administration requirements.
• The lifting of the order does not apply to facilities outside the jurisdiction of the Pasco County Commission, including schools and courthouses.

While lifting the mandatory order, the DOH noted that leading public health agencies still recommend people wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and frequently wash their hands even after receiving the vaccine.

"Pasco County strongly encourages you to continue wearing face coverings in indoor public places where you are not able to maintain social distancing," said Tambrey Laine of the Pasco County Media Relations & Communications Department.

All appointments for this week at Pasco County-operated vaccination clinics at Saint Leo University and Gulf View Square mall in Port Richey have been filled.

Pasco County will offer the next opportunity to make an appointment to obtain a vaccine through the CDR Maguire online patient portal on Friday at 2 p.m.

Additionally, residents have the option of getting the vaccine at the site run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Tampa Greyhound Race Track at 755 E. Waters Ave. in Tampa without an appointment. The site is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Residents can also obtain vaccinations through participating Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart pharmacies.

• Publix at Arbor Square at Connerton, 7830 Land O' Lakes Blvd., Land O' Lakes
• Publix at Chelsea Place, 1346 Seven Springs Blvd., New Park Richey
• Publix at Collier Commons, 2121 Collier Parkway, Land O' Lakes
• CVS Pharmacy, 1929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Publix at Hays Road Town Center, 14851 State Road 52, Hudson
• Publix at Hollybrook Plaza, 5400 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Publix at Mitchell Ranch Plaza, 3100 Little Road, Trinity
• Publix at River Crossing, 5324 Little Road, New Port Richey
• Publix at Regency Crossings, 7037 Ridge Road, Port Richey
• Publix at Riverwalk Crossings, 1140 Ridge Road, New Port Richey
• County-run site at Gulf View Square, 9409 U.S. 19, Port Richey
• Publix at the Shoppes at New Tampa, 1920 County Road 581, Wesley Chapel
• Publix at the Shoppes at Trinity Lakes, 12500 State Road 54, Odessa
• Publix at the Shoppes of Golden Acres, 9850 Little Road, New Port Richey
• Winn-Dixie, 1640 U.S. 19, Holiday
• Winn-Dixie, 27301 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Publix at Southgate Shopping Center, 5127 U.S. 19 S., New Port Richey
• County-run site at Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52, St. Leo
• Publix at Starkey Ranch Town Square, 13589 State Road 54, Odessa
• Publix at Summertree Plaza, 32765 Eiland Blvd., Zephyrhills
• Publix at The Shoppes at Sunlake Centre, 18901 State Road 54, Lutz
• Publix at The Shoppes of Dade City, 11830 U.S. 301, Dade City
• Publix at Tower Oaks Terrace, 12101 Little Road Hudson
• Walmart, 28500 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
• Publix at Zephyr Commons, 7838 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills

Click here an appointment at Publix.
Click here for an appointment at Winn-Dixie.
Click here for an appointment at CVS.
Click here for an appointment at Walmart.
Click here to make an appointment at Walgreens.

To locate a vaccination site near you, click on the Florida Department of Health Vaccine Locator.

See related stories:

• Pasco County Vaccine Appointments To Be Offered At 2 p.m. Friday
• Pasco County Requiring Face Masks Indoors Effective Immediately
• Nearly 60,000 People Now Vaccinated In Pasco County
• Coronavirus Cases Up In New Port Richey Area Despite Vaccination Increase
• Nearly 154,000 More Pasco County Residents Eligible For Vaccine
• No Wait For Vaccinations At Federal Site In Tampa