• By Todd Luck
• Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Residents encouraged to wear cloth face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19

The Forsyth County Public Health Department encourages residents to wear a cloth face covering when going out to do essential activities to stop the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Those infected with COVID-19 may experience little or no symptoms while spreading it to others, so the CDC recommends covering your mouth and nose to protect others from the disease. The recommendation is for people to wear a cloth face covering whenever they have to go out in public.

“Residents should wear cloth face coverings when they go out to do essential activities like grocery shopping,” said Public Health Director Joshua Swift. “The covering can be store-bought or homemade. They should also continue to practice social distancing and stay home if they think they’re sick.”

For instructions on making a cloth face covering, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. Do not use medical masks, since they’re needed by healthcare workers and others on the frontline of this pandemic.

Cloth face coverings do not replace other preventative measures like staying at home, washing your hands, and staying six feet away from others. If you think you’re sick, stay home and contact a doctor. These are all still vital components to maintaining the progress that’s been made in slowing the spread of the virus.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under age 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing. They should also not be placed on anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.