Should masks be mandatory? City and county officials weigh in

Thousands of new face masks are on their way to North Central Florida.

Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe and Alachua County Commission Chair Hutch Hutchinson hosted its weekly town hall Wednesday evening where they answered questions from residents.

The local lawmakers touched on the topic of masks and whether they should be mandatory in public. As of right now, city and county officials encouraged people to wear masks, but they're not mandatory.

Instead, the United Way of North Central Florida said a business agreed to buy material to make 100,000 masks.

When the masks are ready, the United Way of North Central Florida said they will make a second announcement.