Say Goodbye To Sarasota’s Citywide Mask Mandate: Report

SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota City Commission voted to eliminate its citywide mask mandate in a 3-2 vote at its Wednesday meeting, the Herald-Tribune reported.

Vice Mayor Erik Arroyo, Mayor Hagen Brody and Commissioner Kyle Battie voted against an extension of the mask ordinance the city put in place in July because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, reports said.

Commissioners Liz Alpert and Jen Ahearn-Koch voted to extend the mask mandate another 60 days.

Sarasota’s emergency face mask order requires face coverings in indoor and outdoor public locations within city limits.

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“This was one of those ordinances that was done as a public spectacle,” Arroyo said, the Herald-Tribune reported. “People don’t really respect us as a commission for us trying to regulate every single little thing. It might make us feel good about passing it, but it just doesn’t work, and I think we need to stop this now.”

Meanwhile, Ahearn-Koch read letters from medical experts supporting face masks as a way to slow the spread of COVID-19, reports said.

The mask mandate expires Feb. 25. To replace it, the commission unanimously decided that the city will write a resolution encouraging residents to wear face coverings, reports said.