Boulder County Requires Face Masks Beginning May 9
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Boulder County will soon require everyone to wear a face mask. The order was approved by the Boulder County Board of Health over the weekend.
The order goes into effect on May 9 and applies to everyone older than 12 years old. The masks will be required anywhere in Boulder County where social distancing of 6-feet cannot be maintained.
"Although the science varies, most public health experts agree wearing facial coverings in public as social distancing restrictions are eased can help us further reduce the spread of COVID-19 that we've achieved by staying at home," said Bill Hayes, Boulder County Public Health COVID response safety officer, in a statement. "Facial coverings are not a panacea, however. They must be worn properly to be effective, and they should not be a reason to reduce social distancing."
Exceptions include people working alone in an office, anyone whose health prevents them from wearing a face mask, and first responders under certain conditions.
According to Boulder County, the order defines "face covering" as a covering made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that covers only the nose and mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face. They may be factory-made or handmade and improvised using ordinary household materials.
Facial coverings can reduce the spread of droplets from the wearer to others. They do not protect the wearer from others. This, in addition to maintaining at least 6 feet distance between others are steps we can all take to help assure our businesses remain open and that we prevent the further spread of this awful disease in our communities. Everyone must still wash their hands, not touch their faces, stay home if their sick, cough into a tissue and discard, and regularly clean high-touch surfaces.
Several local governments in Colorado now require certain people to wear masks.
