Hillsborough EPG chairman 'shocked' after seeing so few people wearing masks

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group met again Monday, the day that the state’s salons were cleared to reopen.  A major point of the group’s discussion was Les Miller’s call for more mask-wearing in public. 

During a recent grocery store trip, he said, he saw too many people not wearing one. 

“I was utterly shocked. I was probably among the 10 percent wearing masks, other the other 90 percent were not,” Miller said. 

At 69 years old and living with only one kidney, Miller would fall into the high-risk category when it comes to COVID-19.  He believes people have become complacent now that Florida has entered phase one of reopening. 

“We don’t want to mandate wearing a mask. I understand that,” he said.  “But please, please, please, to save yourself and to save others, just wear the mask when you're out,” he said. 

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Still, some in the public see mask-wearing and other restrictions as government overreach, even an affront to the Constitution.  Miller addressed those concerns. 

“We're in the middle of a pandemic and certain rights have to be waived to a certain extent because we're trying to save lives and each other,” he added.