BREAKING: Demings recommends indoor masks for all

Citing an increase in the two-week rolling average percentage of positive cases of COVID-19, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is recommending all vaccinated and unvaccinated residents return to wearing masks indoors.

Demings made the announcement during a news conference Monday, July 12.

Demings said the rolling average for Orange County is at 7.78% as of Monday, July 12.

“Two weeks ago, on June 28, it was 4.28%,” Demings said. “We are now considered by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the high-risk category for community transmission. That, quite frankly, is not good news for our county.

“It is my official recommendation that Orange County return to the status in which it is recommended that all residents — vaccinated and unvaccinated — consider wearing facial coverings indoors when in crowded environments," he said. "If unvaccinated, you should mask up to protect others.”

Dr. Raul Pino, health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, said the county's daily infections have been higher than 400 each day since Thursday, July 8. 

"The week before, we were 200 a day, so it has doubled," Pino said. "And it will double next week if we do not do what we need to do. This is a moment of truth for our county."

Pino said the county's recent eight deaths, as well as the positive cases reported Sunday, July 11, all were of unvaccinated people.

"The reality is this is an unvaccinated pandemic," he said. "It is fueling among unvaccinated people."

As of July 12, the Orange County is reporting 59.69% of all county residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine.