Violet Affleck says she contracted 'post-viral condition,' demands 'mask mandates'
LOS ANGELES - Violet Affleck, the eldest child of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, is making her voice heard for what appears to be the first time in a public setting.
The 18-year-old attended the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday where she expressed her concerns about the city's proposed mask ban.
Affleck, who identified herself as a Los Angeles resident and first-time voter, revealed she "contracted a post-viral condition in 2019" but did not provide any further details.
"I’m OK 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." she said.
Post-COVID symptoms can include fatigue, symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort, fever and respiratory symptoms, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath and cough, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"One in 10 infections leads to long COVID, which is a devastating neurological, cardiovascular illness that can take away people’s ability to work, move, see or even think," she continued.
Jennifer Garner and daughter Violet Affleck are seen on May 11, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
"To confront the long COVID crisis, I demand mask availability, air filtration and Far-UVC lighting in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates at county medical facilities."
She also advocated for more free COVID testing and treatment opportunities for all.
"Most importantly, the county must oppose mask bans for any reason," she continued. "They do not keep us safer, they make vulnerable members of our community less safe and everyone less able to participate in Los Angeles together."
This comes after a pro-Palestine protest outside a West Los Angeles synagogue last month turned violent and caused massive chaos, prompting Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to consider a mask ban for protests.
RELATED: Violence erupts as protesters clash outside West LA synagogue
Bass said during a news conference on June 24 she would be having discussions with LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto on "several things we need to examine," such as "permits for protests, the idea of people wearing masks at protests and establishing clear lines of demarcations of what is legal and what is not."