The Summit County Emergency Blog posted information on Saturday regarding the new CDC recommendation to cover your face in public.
As the recommendation is based on evidence that people can spread COVID-19 without symptoms and without knowledge of spreading the virus, it is recommended to wear cloth face coverings in places where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores and pharmacies.
Since surgical masks or N95 respirators are being reserved for health care workers and medical first responders, the CDC has provided instructions for making cloth face coverings.
The county blog post notes that facial coverings are not meant to be a replacement for social distancing and people should still attempt to maintain 6 feet of distance between one another.
Face coverings are not to be placed on children 2 years old or younger, or on anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the covering on their own.
The blog post lists proper face covering hygiene, which includes not touching the outer portion of the covering, which may have the virus on it, and routinely washing the covering.
Health officials reminded people in the blog post that the face coverings do not ensure safety from transmission and other public health orders, including staying home when sick, maintaining social distance measures and frequently washing hands should continue to be followed.
