Nutty as it sounds, the sheriff in Ocala, Florida, has banned facemasks for his deputies in some on-duty circumstances. This comes at a time when his county had by the end of August 2020 recorded more than 8,400 confirmed cases and 170-plus deaths due to the coronavirus.

Moreover, approximately 40 of the sheriff’s employees, including patrol deputies, have become infected.

Deputies making calls to nursing homes and hospitals must wear masks, but must immediately remove them once the call is complete. But during other calls where COVID-19 is not so-called risky or prevalent, the sheriff prohibits mask-wearing.

This is absolutely insane, a dereliction of duty, obviously coming from a science denier willing to gamble his fellow citizens’ lives based on who knows what kind of idiotic notion.

Who can say with any certainty that these deputies aren’t asymptomatic and would infect a citizen, or vice versa?

This sheriff has abandoned his pledge to protect and serve his community, and I pray no other public servant will not follow his shameful example.