Our hospital has banned bandanas, gaiters and masks with exhalation valves from their universal masking requirements. This includes all visitors to the hospital, who will be given a surgical mask on entry if their mask does not meet the new requirements. Additionally staff can only wear homemade masks if they are covering surgical masks.
I know the biggest debate in the country today is about wearing a mask or not. Science says yes. Non-believers say no. But maybe in those areas where universal masks are common and science is dutifully followed, we should be recentering the debate on the quality of the masks if we really want to protect people and hold COVID at bay.
The COVID ACT NOW map shows Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey -the states hardest hit in the early days of COVID -- have all gone from YELLOW to ORANGE in recent days. Even New Hampshire and Vermont who have at times been Green, are now Orange. (Orange means at risk of outbreak. Yellow is slow disease growth. Red is active or imminent outbreak.)
While we are not RED like many states in No Mask territory, the trend of increasing COVID cases is unmistakable. We must do all we can.
