Wear a Mask, It’s Simple

The Coronavirus pandemic has altered the course of our daily life, forcing us to rethink how we work and send our kids to school. This shift has also added a new step to our daily routine; a face mask. Whether it’s store bought or homemade, we can’t leave the house without it. The reason is simple — wearing a mask is the easiest thing that you can do to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus travels to others through respiratory droplets and particles. Masks offer protection to you and to those around you by preventing those droplets and particles from entering the air where they can linger. Wearing a mask is a sign of respect towards your neighbors, showing them that you care about their health. While out grocery shopping or supporting your favorite local business, you should be wearing a mask to protect yourself and the workers. Wearing a mask is just one simple step that you can take to save lives.

At the start of October, in Canton Township, Plymouth Township and the City of Plymouth, we’ve had over 1,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and this pandemic has tragically taken 96 lives from our community. As cases continue to rise, Canton has recently been ranked #2 in COVID-19 cases in Western Wayne County. My heart is with the families that have been personally affected by this virus.

Our health care heroes wear masks to protect themselves everyday while working to care for patients. Even before the pandemic, it was commonplace for doctors, nurses, and other health care workers to wear masks to prevent contamination from sick individuals. Our essential workers wear masks while they continuously meet the needs of our community. Simply put, masks are proven to prevent potential infection.

Studies have shown that countries where masks are worn in public places have lower mortality rates from COVID-19. Countries that implemented mask mandates early on have been proven to have had dramatically fewer deaths from COVID-19. These countries have been able to gradually and safely reopen their economies, return to work, and send their kids back to school. There is little doubt that the wearing of masks has contributed to their ability to return to a new normal.

It’s our responsibly as a community to mask up and continue to follow the necessary public health and safety guidelines set forth by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. We must place our trust in science. These guidelines are not here to only protect us, but also to protect our most vulnerable populations. I applaud Governor Whitmer’s leadership in our state throughout the pandemic and the strong steps that were taken in the early days when Wayne County was one of the largest COVID-19 hotspots in the nation.

I encourage you to continue to wear a mask while in public, to practice social distancing, and sanitize often. It’s simple — wearing a mask saves lives.

Melissa Daub (D-Canton) serves as the Wayne County Commissioner for District 10 which includes Canton Township, Plymouth Township, and the City of Plymouth.