We all know that, for most things, the government is a hot mess. There’s always the question if politicians are truly doing things for the people they represent or if it’s more their own interests. And no matter what, there’s red tape that will muck things up for years, if not decades.
So it was a very pleasant surprise when I read the following headline:
Federal Government to Distribute Nearly 100 Million Cloth Facial Coverings for Transportation Passengers
This is during a time when things are, of course, very back in forth in terms of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Some people think that wearing a mask is important to help decrease the spread of the virus, and others think it’s a waste of time, don’t care if they get it, etc., perhaps not realizing, or not even caring that wearing a facial covering is to help others, not themselves.
But anywhere, there’s been a lot of discussion about mask use. If you should or not, what kind, etc. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, thinks people should wear them when they’re out. White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx says there’s clear scientific evidence that masks work. People at the CDC and WHO are currently saying you should wear one. Airlines were saying you must wear one on the plane, but then they didn’t enforce it once you were seated, and now are apparently back to saying you must wear one, yadda yadda yadda.
So with all this mask talk, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), along with the U.S. the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have been working with states, industries, and others to make sure that the traveling public has access to cloth facial coverings.
With that, they’ve amassed almost 100 million facial coverings for passenger use on planes, trains and other forms of transits. Which is, for the government, in a relatively short period of time, pretty impressive ;-).
Of course, passengers are still expected to provide their own masks when traveling. But if masks are going to be 100% mandatory after all, this way they can’t use any reason like they forgot it, lost it, etc. They may be able to get one at the airport, Amtrak station, etc, before they go on their journey.
COVID-19 is too serious to take chances of not wearing a mask, especially when you’re in a building or a plane or train, and lots of people are forced to be close together. Having masks available, just in case, to protect us is a very wise move.
It’s a beautiful thing!
Feature Photo: Image used under license from Freestock.com
#stayhealthy #staysafe #washyourhands
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
