FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. ― A shopper rolls her eyes at the customer wearing a mask inside Publix. A client is annoyed her stylist still insists on donning a face covering. A high-schooler feels awkward being the only one with a mask at a party.
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed guidelines and the omicron wave diminished, there’s a new chapter unfolding in the fierce debate over masks: People now seem more likely to be shamed, or made uncomfortable, for wearing a mask than not having one.
The issue was thrust into the spotlight this week when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked high school students in Hillsborough County to remove their masks during his news conference. It ignited a barrage of pro- and anti-mask comments on social media.
