Recently when I needed to enter our local retail/shopping stores during the ‘stay-at-home’ request, my biggest surprise in our rural cities is the lack of consideration by others that too many local residents are not wearing cloth face masks.

Don’t you get it? It isn’t just a problem in the “big” cities, the need is for EVERYONE to wear a mask AND use social distancing to prevent and stop this pandemic. Spend some time in a hospital and see the actual crisis the healthcare workers perform. The COVID-19 mentality “it won’t happen to me,” or “I’m not a carrier,” or “it looks stupid”, is completely ludicrous.

Masks cut the growth rate in both COVID-19 cases and deaths by as much as 10%. That was above and beyond the impact of other policies like closing schools and workplaces and issuing stay-at-home orders.

The economic benefit was estimated to be $3,000-$6,000 for every additional mask worn in public, due to their slowing the spread of the virus. That’s a conservative estimate because it doesn’t take into account the financial benefits of getting the country back to work faster.

Until there is a cure or vaccination, the only way to stop the spread is social distancing and wearing a face mask. You are not protecting yourself by wearing a mask from someone else. You are protecting someone else from something you might transmit to them, asymptomatically and unknowingly.

Please fellow citizens, please wear a mask when you are in our local retail/shopping stores. This is our respect and responsibility to others of ALL AGES. Follow along with our Governor’s request so we can get back to normal sooner!

Tori M
Maple Lake, MN