Unfortunately, those who fuck around really won’t find out. From the Great State of Florida (boldface mine):

A large retirement community in Tamarac, Florida, has just announced that the clubhouse where hundreds of seniors gather on a weekly basis for social activities has been closed. The reason? A significant uptick in COVID-19 cases in the community has created concern for the community’s vulnerable populace.

Unfortunately, the Board of Directors had no choice but to close the property, thanks to SB 252, a law enacted by the Florida Legislature this year and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. This law purports to protect people from discrimination based on health care choices, but its application creates a new brand of discrimination.

SB 252 prevents a business from requiring people to wear facial coverings or show proof of vaccination status, even if a state of emergency has been declared related to a public health emergency and the medical community recommends such measures to curb infections….

In the case of the large Tamarac community, it means that the recreational amenities are closed, because there is no safe way to keep them open without risking the spread of COVID-19 among their vulnerable residents. Many seniors depend on the social interaction these amenities provide; sadly they’re out of luck now that the Florida Legislature is dictating health care policy.

Without getting into arguments over whether the government can or should mandate masking in certain circumstances, we really need to call people out for being assholes for not masking. If there’s one thing (ok, there are several things) public health workers need to rethink, it’s the power of shaming: this isn’t a disease that disproportionately affects a historically stigmatized group, where shaming can really backfire–it affects (and infects) everyone, so establishing community norms is actually useful.

Anyway, COVID is pretty prevalent in many places, so if you’re indoors*, wear a mask.

*Over the last two weeks, I know three people with kids in the K-12 system who have gotten COVID, but before symptoms were observed, they were at (indoor) offices without a mask. Assume if you have kids in school that you are potentially infected: your coworkers will thank you.