Effective to start Friday, April 10, 2020 – Los Angeles residents must wear a mask, cloth, bandanna or other types of covering over our noses and mouths. This is required in essential business and public spaces under the order of Mayor Eric Garcetti. This rule will also apply to workers and patrons at many other establishments.
The order does not require the mask to be either a medical-grade or n95 masks. The state is actually pleading for citizens to refrain from these unless in recovery so that we can ensure medical and emergency workers have enough protective gear to continue fighting this pandemic.
“To be clear, you should still stay at home. This isn’t an excuse to suddenly all go out,” Garcetti said.
As noted on CDC.Gov, the use of face coverings help slow the spread of COVID-19. The CDC recommends a simple cloth material, such as a gaiter mask like you find on merchant sites such as marshmillow.com and other similar online stores.
Law enforcement agencies have the authority to enforce these orders, which run through April 30, as deemed necessary.
The fear many Americans are facing as we begin to enter the phase of reemergence is how to protect ourselves when social distancing is not an option. Wearing a mask in public settings helps significantly in areas of community-based transmissions such as your local supermarket.
“They are not a substitute for a stay-at-home order. They are not a call to get folks to find N95 masks or surgical masks and pull them away or compete against our first responders,” Newsom said.
“They are not a substitute for a stay-at-home order. They are not a call to get folks to find N95 masks or surgical masks and pull them away or compete against our first responders,”
The CDC advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know they could be transmitting it to others.
Cloth face coverings should be washed and cleaned regularly contingent on the frequency of use.
When removing a cloth face covering, individuals should be careful still not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth. WASH YOUR HANDS!!
While we are still to maintain the practice of social distancing, IF you have to go out, a mask is now part of the checklist.
