The Sheriff in Marion County Florida prohibits deputies from wearing masks while at work. Visitors in the county are also not allowed to wear facemasks. This is despite the increasing number of cases in the state.

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Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods ordered his deputies not to wear facemasks while at work. His order also applied to the visitors in the state. However, there are some exceptions where deputies have to wear facemasks like those in hospitals that deal with people suspected of having the virus. 

This is even if the number of COVID-19 infections in the state has already reached over 550,000 and a death toll of nearly 9,000, according to the official tally of Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Meanwhile, Marion County has recorded 6,798 cases and 104 deaths according to the data obtained from worldometers.

In an email County Sheriff Billy Woods sent to The Washington Post, he disputed and said, "We can debate and argue all day of why and why not. The fact is the number of professionals that give the reason why we should. I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn't."

This is even though most epidemiologists and health experts said that wearing face masks and strict observance of social-distancing can help slow the spread of the infectious and deadly COVID-19. Experts firmly believed that these are just two ways to slow down the spread of the virus. 

Police authorities have been criticized for their inconsistent use of facemask, which includes large cities like New York and Philadelphia, where the use of mask coverings is mandatory. According to a published report in Vox News, many police departments across the country allow their officers to wear facemasks at their discretion.

Moreover, Billy Woods is one of the law enforcement officials to ban wearing of masks to his deputies. He issued the order in the county while its largest city, Ocala, is entangled in a politically charged debate over a mandatory wearing of a facemask. 

Additionally, Billy Woods told his deputies on Tuesday to stop wearing masks in most cases. However, they can choose to wear asks in areas like courthouses, hospitals, and county jail, but they have to remove it afterward. 

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