Coronavirus: Bay Area health officials now recommend wearing face coverings
Bay Area health officials are now recommending people who must leave their homes for essential travel cover their nose and mouth, according to a press release issued by the County of San Mateo Joint Information Center.
“In addition to shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements, wearing a mask in public is an important tool to stop the community spread of this disease,” Scott Morrow, MD, San Mateo County health officer said in a statement. “People with no or mild symptoms may have coronavirus and not know it. Wearing face coverings helps protect others from exposure.”
As of 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, no other Bay Area counties had published new guidance regarding wearing face coverings as a way to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, the release issued by San Mateo County called the recommendation “regional.”
The release issued by San Mateo County urged the public to avoid using medical masks such as N-95 or surgical masks, which are in short supply and must be preserved for healthcare workers.
Items such as bandanas, fabric masks and neck gaiters were deemed acceptable face coverings.
The recommendation comes a day after Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti told residents they should wear masks any time they leave their homes.
“We must protect folks that we come into contact with,” Garcetti said.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said they are still relying on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which encourages people who are sick and those who are caring for the ill to wear masks.
According to the press release issued by San Mateo County on Thursday, “circumstances have changed.”
Acceptable face coverings can be made of a variety of cloth materials and can be improvised using apparel such as scarves, t-shirts or towels.
During daily press briefings this week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has resisted issuing statewide guidance on face coverings and instead reminded people that they are not a substitute for physical or social distancing.
“(Face coverings) are not a substitute for a stay-at-home order,” Newsom said. “They are not a call for people to get N)-95 masks or surgical masks and pull them away from our first responders in our hospital system.”
The governor has acknowledged that face coverings may help decrease the risk of contracting COVID-19, but has emphasized that face coverings should be emphasized in conjunction “with evidence-based interventions such as staying at home, physical distancing when completing essential activities and washing hands.”
Covering the nose and mouth with cloth may also help serve as a reminder to keep physical distancing.
News of the recommendation from Bay Area health officials comes as the Trump administration is finalizing guidance to recommend that many people wear face coverings in public places such as the grocery store or pharmacy.
As of 1 p.m. on Thursday, the state of California had recorded more than 10,000 positive tests for COVID-19. More than 200 people have died from COVID-19 in the state.
Gov. Newsom said Thursday nearly 2,000 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 around the state, including more than 800 patients in intensive care unit beds.