Over the past several months, Violet Affleck has earned fans among COVID-conscious people for being one of few prominent faces still wearing a mask in public. On Tuesday, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s 18-year-old daughter appeared in front of a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting and revealed in an impassioned speech that she wears a mask because she has a post-viral condition. She called on the officials to protect others with the illness.
“I contracted a post-viral condition in 2019,” Affleck said after introducing herself by her full name, noting her age and that she’s a first-time voter. “I’m okay now, but I saw firsthand that medicine does not always have answers to the consequences of even minor viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper relief.”
Affleck spoke during a portion of the meeting dedicated to community comments, which allows residents to address the board for one minute. It’s unclear if she dealt with long COVID or another illness, as she didn’t give any additional details about her condition. After sharing her own experience, she called on officials to do more to help those suffering from long COVID in government buildings and hospitals. “I demand mask availability, air filtration, and far-UVC light in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical facilities,” she said.
Affleck, who graduated from high school in May and is heading to Yale, spoke quickly to make sure her statement fit into the minute-long slot allowed. “We must expand the availability of free tests and treatment and, most importantly, the county must oppose mask bans for any reason. 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.” We don’t know what Affleck plans to major in, but public health could be a good place to start.
