Williamson County is encouraging all county residents to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to wear face coverings when they are out in public, according to an April 6 news release.
The CDC emphasized that social distancing remains the best practice to help reduce the spread of coronavirus; however, they are advising people to take the extra safety measure by using cloth face coverings in places where social distancing may be difficult to enforce to help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others, the release said.
The recommendation will help further reduce the spread of coronavirus between people in close proximity to each other as the virus can be transmitted by people who are not exhibiting symptoms, it said.
Children under the age of 2; people who have trouble breathing; and anyone unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance should not wear any face coverings, the release said. The remaining public is encouraged to wear the cloth face coverings at frequently visited places like grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission, it said.
“It’s critical that we all follow any guidelines that will result in the preservation of life and that can help us reduce the spread of the virus in the county,” Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in the release.
The cloth face coverings recommended for residents to use for protection are made out of common household items or low-cost materials and not surgical masks or N-95 respirators as those items remain critical supplies that must continue to be reserved and used only by health care workers and other first responders, the release said. To learn ways to create your own mask, visit the CDC website.
