Powers Taken, St Pete Mayor Can Only Beg Residents to Mask Up

ST. PETERSBURG -- St Petersburg's mayor makes a plea: we can't make you wear a mask or keep your distance - but do it anyway.

"My big fear is that with no mandates... and if we don't see vaccination rates go up, I'm afraid we're going to see a big spike again... more hospitalizations and more people dying," Kriseman said. His voice was devoid of the authority expressed when his city employees were issuing fines left and right to restaurants... all of which should be wiped off the books by Governor DeSantis' order ending local coronavirus emergency orders.

Rick Kriseman says ending local coronavirus emergency orders might have consequences Governor DeSantis did not intend when he did it. His city's order let restaurants expand their outdoor seating. But they'll have to remove chairs and tables from sidewalks street parking spots by Sunday.

At least one medical expert doubts Kriseman's worst-case scenario. Dr. John Greene of Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center says cases would not overwhelm hospitals like they sometimes did earlier in the pandemic.

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