RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County officials kicked off a “Masks Are Medicine” campaign Friday that they hope will help slow coronavirus spread and ensure reopening of all businesses and industry sectors.
During a news briefing at the County Administrative Center in downtown Riverside, officials announced the campaign and vowed to distribute 10 million face masks at no charge to county residents and business owners.
Nonprofits, schools, businesses and other county partners will be handing out the free masks so everyone gets covered, including seniors and people in disadvantaged communities.
The masks, which were purchased at a cost of $2 million through the county’s $431 million allocation of federal CARES Act Funding, will be available at local businesses, county coronavirus test sites, and other locales, according to the officials.
During Friday’s news briefing, the boxes of face masks were on site, ready for county partners to begin distribution.
Dr. Geoffrey Leung, Riverside University Health System-Medical Center, told reporters during the briefing that face masks, along with social distancing and frequent hand washing, are the only way forward. The three simple measures are 95 percent effective in combating coronavirus spread, he said.
If everyone adheres to the safety protocols, “we can reverse the rise [of coronavirus] in 30 days,” Leung continued.
While most people are practicing safety protocols at work, grocery stores and other establishments where masks are mandated, many are not following the guidelines while around friends and family, Leung said.
Birthday parties, family get-togethers, friends gathering … with “people we love and trust” is where coronavirus spread is currently happening, Leung said.
“Forty percent of spread is silent spread,” he continued, explaining that asymptomatic carriers are greatly contributing to the uptick in new cases. One in seven people are testing positive for the virus, he added.
The toggling back and forth between loosening and tightening restrictions is not the path forward, Leung argued.
“It’s stressful, disruptive, and not a good way to live,” he said.
“We know how to control the virus. We need to take control” and following the three simples steps of social distancing, wearing masks around others, and frequent hand washing is the path forward to full reopening, Leung said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has reminded California residents during his weekly news briefings that the state is still under a stay-at-home order.
Masks are not required when exercising in outdoor areas where at least 6 feet of social distancing is possible, according to the state.
Lou Monville, chair of the Riverside County Economic Recovery Task Force, told reporters Friday that the county has taken a $3 billion hit to the economy due to COVID-19. Sectors impacted hardest include leisure and hospitality, travel,…
Read More:10 Million Face Masks Being Distributed In Riverside County
