Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter has revealed the reason why she still wears a face mask in public.
Although mask mandates have lessened since the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, 18-year-old Violet Affleck has been spotted out and about with her parents, who divorced in 2018, still donning a face mask.
And she has a good reason why, which she explained to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors about the importance of opposing mask bans.
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In a video posted to X, the eldest daughter of the Daredevil stars addressed the committee while wearing a face mask.
She said: "Hi, Violet Affleck, Los Angeles resident, first-time voter, I’m 18.
“I contracted a post-viral condition in 2019, I’m OK now, but I saw firsthand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses."
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She further explained that in order to 'confront the long Covid crisis', there must be 'mask availability, air filtration and far-UVC lights in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical facilities'.
"One in ten infections leads to long COVID." she said.
She went on to detail the effects of long Covid, which she describes as 'a devastating neurological (and) cardiovascular illness that can take away people’s ability to work, move, see and even think'.
"It stands to exacerbate our homelessness crisis, as well as the suffering of many people in our city." Violet said.
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"It hits communities of color, disabled people, elderly people, trans people, women and anyone in a public-facing essential job the hardest."
The 18-year-old continued to say that her decision to wear a mask was a protest - and implored the board not to implement bans against face masks.
In the final two lines from her speech, the teen added: “We must expand the availability of free tests and treatment and, most importantly, the county must oppose mask bans for any reason.”
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“They do not keep us safer, they make vulnerable members of our community less safe and make everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together. Thank you.”
Many online users praised Violet for her speech, as one person called her a 'strong, articulate, smart, brave young woman', while someone else said to 'keep fighting & use that name & voice for good!'
It comes after LA's governing body ruled that it is no longer mandatory for employees and visitors to health care facilities in the city to wear face coverings.
According to the County of Los Angeles Public Health data, there have been 37,709 Covid-related deaths.
Topics: Health, Politics, Los Angeles
Joe Yates