Guidance on Face Coverings
County Public health officials and the Centers for Disease Control recommend that we wear face coverings when we go out to the grocery store, pharmacy, or other essential service. A bandana, scarf, fabric mask, neck gaiter, or other cloth barrier can help prevent those who have mild or no COVID-19 symptoms from unknowingly spreading it to others.
Please do not use surgical masks or N95s. It is important that we preserve the limited supply of medical grade masks for health care workers and first responders.
Note: Cloth face coverings primarily act as a barrier should you not have symptoms and thus be unaware that you may be spreading COVID-19. So, wearing one protects each of us from spreading COVID-19 unknowingly. Remember: Face coverings are not a replacement for staying home, physical distancing, and hand washing to help stop the spread.
Here are guidelines for proper cloth face coverings. They should:
- Fit snugly but comfortably
- Include multiple layers of fabric
- Allow for breathing without restriction
- Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost. The cloth material used should be able to be washed repeatedly with detergent and dried on a hot cycle. Best to make sure the face covering is comfortable in order to avoid constantly adjusting it, which requires touching your face. And always wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer, before and after touching your face or face coverings.
Here is a link to Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams detailing how to create your own face covering in a few easy steps. Here also are a few tutorials on making your own face coverings at home: