The Gadsden County Commission adopted a resolution Friday requiring everyone in the county to wear a cloth facemask when out in certain public spaces.
There were 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Gadsden at the end of last week when the board approved its resolution, and that number grew to 56 by Monday morning.
Commissioner Anthony Viegbisie says the rule applies in spaces where people would be in close proximity.
“In public settings, where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. For example, grocery stores and pharmacies,” Viegbisie said during the commission’s video conference call meeting Friday. “Especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”
Cloth masks specifically, not surgical or N95 masks, should be used. Viegbisie said that’s because those are critical supplies to be reserved for healthcare workers.
The resolution also requires workers in grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, construction sites and public transportation wear a cloth face covering on the job. Masks shouldn’t be placed on children younger than two years old or people who have trouble breathing, the Commission’s resolution says.
