Assembly urges businesses and customers to wear cloth face covering

The Juneau Assembly strongly urges the use of cloth face coverings – or a similar physical barrier – for any businesses with employees that interact with the public, especially grocery stores, gas stations, and retail stores. Likewise, the Assembly is strongly encouraging customers and visitors entering into a business or organization to wear a cloth face covering. These recommendations, adopted in a resolution April 20, are in line with federal and state guidelines. Learn how to make your own mask at home without a sewing machine here. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers sew and no sew options.

The virus that causes COVID-19 can spread from a person before they have symptoms. CDC advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus, especially in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, like at grocery stores and pharmacies.

A cloth face covering needs to cover the nose and mouth. It can be made of a variety of materials, such as cotton, silk, or linen. A cloth face covering may be factory-made, sewn by hand, or improvised from household items such as scarfs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, or towels. Do not wear N-95 or surgical masks; these are needed by health care workers and first responders.

When removing the face covering, avoid touching the front of the face covering. Remove it by grasping the ear loops, ties, or bands and immediately discard or place in a designated container for laundering. Wash your hands immediately after removing the face covering and before touching anything else. Wash face coverings in hot, soapy water between uses.

In Health Alert 10, the State of Alaska cautions against relying on face coverings as the primary way to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and to be careful to avoid developing a false sense of security through the use of face coverings. Continue to follow social distancing measures including maintaining at least six feet between yourself and others, staying at home as much as possible, avoiding touching your face, and washing your hands frequently.

Read the Juneau Assembly resolution on cloth face coverings here.

For more local news, information, and resources to help keep Juneau safe and healthy, go to juneau.org/covid-19 and Bartlett Hospital’s COVID-19 page.