In case you haven’t heard, Utah really wants you to wear a mask in public. And now the state is squashing every excuse one can have to do otherwise.
Specifically, any Utahn who doesn’t already have a proper face mask can receive one free of charge from the state and its partners. On Tuesday, Gov. Gary Herbert announced the “Mask for Every Utahn” initiative that offers up to six masks per household. To receive yours, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/mask.
The initiative particularly invites those to sign up who
- Don’t already have a mask.
- Don’t have the means to make a mask.
- Are unable to purchase a mask.
Masks also will be distributed to underserved populations through homeless shelters, emergency management centers and local nonprofits. Organizations interested in partnering with the state should send contact information to mask@utah.gov.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially demurred on the need for the public to wear masks, instead asking that masks be reserved for frontline personnel, the agency has since revised its guidelines.
And while cloth masks, unlike N95 respirators, aren’t particularly suited to filter airborne contaminants, they are an important part of an overall strategy of hygiene that everyone should adopt. A mask should not give false confidence that other practices are irrelevant, says May Chu, a clinical professor in epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Rather, they are an “add-on” to the vital practices of hand-washing, sanitizing and refraining from touching your face.
Yet, there is a psychological effect worth considering. Seeing others wear a mask like the one on your face signals solidarity. It builds communal morale, suggesting everyone is committed to the same outcomes.
That morale can’t be overstated. What’s holding America back right now is not so much that certain businesses are closed, but that uncertainty abounds. A third of Americans are unlikely to visit a mall after it opens for business, and half of the country is more concerned about being able to visit family and friends than they are with reopening retail stores. Doing your part to protect others and build confidence is paramount for a steady recovery.
Utah’s pandemic success story will be written by the thousands of people willing to shoulder each other’s burdens and simply do the right thing. So put on your mask and get to work keeping Utah safe.