A Florida sheriff has made national news with his letter to deputies and other employees that they are banned from wearing masks while on duty.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods says the move is to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into the lobby of the sheriff's office.
For Protecting the Palm Beaches, we reached out to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw for reaction.
"We're going to protect the deputies on the street, we're going to protect the deputies in the jail, we're going to protect the inmates when they're in there. Everybody's masked up when they have to."
He says when employees are in the office, if they can't social distance, they are encouraged to wear facial coverings.
"I'm not going to second guess another sheriff someplace because I don't know their situation. But here, there's an issue, there's a problem. For the safety of the deputies and the safety of the public, it is a smart idea when we can't do the social distancing that we wear the mask."
Bradshaw says the pandemic must be taken seriously in the workplace...especially in law enforcement.
"You get one employee, whether it's on the road or in the jail, that has got this...tests positive, you've gotta quarantine all of the other people that are around them. I mean, you could lose 30 or 40 people at one time. That's not good."
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods says exceptions to the mask ban include deputies in schools, jails and courthouses.
Image: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office