ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A central Florida sheriff says his deputies won’t be allowed to wear face masks except under some conditions, and neither will visitors to the sheriff’s office. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods made the announcement the same week that Florida had some of its highest days of coronavirus deaths. On Wednesday, state health officials reported 213 new deaths from COVID-19. Also on Wednesday, there were more than 8,100 new infections reported, for a total of 550,000 cases in the state since the pandemic started. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July asked Americans to wear masks to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
![Virus Outbreak Florida](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d3e2b76/2147483647/strip/true/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediaassets.wtxl.com%2Fapimages%2F9e9df8a195104ddd8e89ebd806b337f1.jpg)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A pair of beach goers wear masks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, on Miami Beach, Florida's famed South Beach. Florida added 276 fatalities to its coronavirus death toll on Tuesday, a new state record. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
![Virus Outbreak Florida](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d3e2b76/2147483647/strip/true/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediaassets.wtxl.com%2Fapimages%2F9e9df8a195104ddd8e89ebd806b337f1.jpg)
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