#Florida residents furious over ‘devil’s law’ requiring face masks

Florida’s Palm Beach County made face masks mandatory this week amid a surge in coronavirus cases — prompting a furious response from residents, including one who rebuked county commissioners for “practicing the devil’s law.”

The board approved the order, which is in effect indefinitely, with a unanimous vote on Tuesday, WPEC reported.

Several people lashed out during the public comment session of the meeting.

“They want to throw God’s wonderful breathing system out the door,” said one woman, only identified by her first name, Sylvia, according to the report.

Another woman named Whitney, who identified herself as an essential worker, bizarrely explained that she doesn’t wear a mask for the same reason she doesn’t wear underwear, the outlet reported.

“Things gotta breathe,” she said.

“All of you are practicing the devil’s law,” added yet another woman named Cristina, promising a citizen’s arrest for those who go against the “freedom of choice.”

“Every single one of you that are obeying the devil’s laws are going to be arrested,” she declared.

A man named Butch, who called himself an American patriot, blasted the commission, urging them to honor the Constitution and listen to “we the people.”

A woman named Cindy even argued that the coronavirus shouldn’t be considered a pandemic, according to the report.

“This is a planned-demic,” she said. “This is totally political and you know it and I’m asking you to cease and desist from the political agendas that you’re being ‘propaganded’ to stand with and try to hold us hostage as American citizens.”

Another woman admonished the commissioners for approving “these Communist dictatorship orders or laws.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Sam Fahmy, chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, in Palm Beach County, told CNN he was disappointed in the response from the community members.

“It’s really unfortunate the response that we got for such a common-sense mandate that happened in Palm Beach County,” he said. “We know scientifically that masks are proven to prevent infection, and transmission from one person who is sick to another. And the fact that people are fighting this hard against wearing masks is disheartening. Wearing a mask doesn’t only protect you — it protects those around you.”

Florida reported 5,004 new coronavirus cases Thursday, down from Wednesday’s record-breaking figure of 5,511, but continuing the surge in cases the Sunshine State has seen over the past two weeks, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In total, the state has seen 114,018 coronavirus cases and 3,327 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Florida Department of Health.

Palm Beach County specifically has reported 11,704 cases and 486 deaths.