Coronavirus: Mask order will protect essential employees, Clark County Health Commissioner says

Rick Incorvati says he supports the Governor's mask mandate. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Rick Incorvati says he supports the Governor's mask mandate. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Clark County residents seem to be are split on Gov. Mike DeWine’s new mandatory mask order as the state enters its first full week under the order.

On July 22, Gov. DeWine issued an order requiring all Ohio residents ages 10 and older to wear a mask inside non-residential locations, while outside and unable to keep 6 feet apart from others and while waiting for taxis, rideshares and on public transportation.

Prior to the governor’s order, specific counties were only required to wear masks in public once they enter they were upgraded to a level 3 on Ohio’s COVID-19 risk level guidelines. Clark County had never hit level 3 until Thursday — after the statewide mask order had already gone into effect.

Clark County Combined Health District Commissioner Charles Patterson said entering level 3 after the state had already implemented a mask order “takes a little bit of the sting,” out the red level warning.

“But it’s still very serious, just like I hope the public realizes how serious this mask order is,” Patterson said. “The governor put this order in place so that we won’t have to shut down again.”

Patterson said the order is important because it will protect essential workers “who have been doing all the hard work and protecting others by wearing a mask.”

“When businesses open back up, we required employees and essential employees to wear masks. It was a mandatory policy,” Patterson said. “I’m happy we are going to be protecting those essential workers who have been doing that hard work. I’m happy that we are finally at that point. We were ignoring the needs or those essential employees and this is making it a priority to protect them.”

Rick Incorvati, a Clark County resident, said he agrees with Patterson about the mask order.

“It’s a good practice for people to be taking care of each other. If we have hopes of getting back to some kind of safe normalcy, then we are going to have to reduce the opportunities of contracting the virus,” Incorvati said.

Many national retailers have begun requiring masks to enter stores citing protection against COVID-19 for employees and customers. Within the last week, Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, CVS and Starbucks have all announced that customers would be asked to put on a mask or facial covering in order to enter their stores.

However, retailers will not ask employees to enforce mandatory mask.

“To be clear, we’re not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer,” said Jon Roberts, chief operating officer at CVS. “What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”

Kristen Adams, a Clark County resident, said prior to the governor’s mask order, she didn’t wear a mask very often.

“But now, I will wear one if I’m going to into a store or somewhere like that just for other people’s state of mind,” Adams said.

Clark County has 1,002 total cases, 11 deaths and one probable death, of the coronavirus, according to Monday afternoon data on the Ohio Department of Health’s website.

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