COCOA BEACH, Florida – The Cocoa Beach City Commission voted 3 to 2 to require face masks indoors in public.

Mayor Ben Malik and Commissioners Skip Williams and Mike Miller voted in favor of requiring face masks.

Commissioners Ed Martinez and Karalyn Woulas voted against the mandating masks.

Under the face mask mandate, every person working, living, visiting, or doing business in the City of Cocoa Beach must wear a face-covering in any indoor public location, other than their home or residence, and in any public outdoor location when not maintaining social distancing from other people, excluding family members or companions.

All businesses are encouraged to prohibit entry of any person who is not wearing a face-covering with the exception of those below-listed persons.

The City Order shall be placed on the entry door to all indoor business locations.

Facial coverings are not required to be worn by the following persons:

• Persons under the age of two years;

• Persons for whom a face covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition;

• Persons working in a business or profession who do not have interactions with other persons;

• Persons exercising while maintaining social distancing;

• Persons working in an office when all interactions with others is done with social distancing as recommended by the CDC;

• Persons while eating and/or drinking at a restaurant; provided, however face coverings must otherwise be worn in restaurants; and

• Public safety, fire and other life safety and health care personnel, as their personal protective equipment requirements will be governed by their respective agencies.

• The requirement shall not apply when a person who is hearing-impaired needs to see the mouth of someone wearing a face covering in order to communicate.