Face Coverings Required for All Essential Business Employees and Customers
Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein would like to provide residents with a list of do’s and don’ts for wearing face masks in public to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as the number of cases continues to rise in town.
Both Gov. Charlie Baker and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all individuals going out in public wear cloth face masks as precaution in situations where social distancing is hard to maintain in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing is the practice of keeping at least six feet between people while in public.
For wearing a face mask, residents should:
- Use it to completely cover their nose and mouth
- Read the directions provided on use of the mask, if available
- Put the mask on properly and adjust it as necessary throughout the day
- Wash their hands and face after removing the mask and before touching their face
- Keep masks clean. Fabric face coverings should be cleaned after each use and should be machine washable and dryer safe
- Keep it away from running machinery or equipment that could entangle the mask
- Keep it on their person when not using it
- Request a new one if it becomes damaged or in any way unsanitary
Residents should not:
- Let the mask obstruct their vision
- Wear it if it causes any difficulty in their ability to breathe
- Wear it if it causes safety glasses or reading glasses to fog up and impair vision
- Let it hang down around their neck
- Lay it on a surface where it may contaminate the surface or lay it on a surface that may already be contaminated
- Wear it where it may come in contact with running machinery or create a hazard while performing their work
- Use it if it is damaged in any way
The guidance recommends protective face coverings to be worn by employees of any essential business — which, as defined by Gov. Baker’s COVID-19 Executive Orders, include but are not limited to food establishments, grocery stores and pharmacies — when interacting with members of the public and when within six feet of a co-worker.
Members of the general public age 2 and older entering any essential business are also required to wear a face covering.
Instructions for how to fashion a homemade face covering with no sewing required, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can be found here.
