As guidance on handling coronavirus has adjusted over the past four months, pushback on the best ways to handle the virus — notably using masks in public — has increased.
Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jenifer Millbern says that pushback is an unfortunate sign of the times. On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Tuesday, she said politics should have no place in public health guidance.
Millbern also encouraged residents and businesses to follow the public health guidance on masks and social distancing now so more restrictions aren’t needed later.
Conjecture continues about mask use, and Millbern said there is a lot of false information floating around. She says masks help because it’s a version of a public health directive since we were children: cover your mouth when you cough, either with an elbow or a tissue. She says cloth masks aren’t designed to protect in the same way as surgical masks, but they help to protect people from asymptomatic or presymptomatic people nearby.
With area schools planning how best to start the fall semester next month, Millbern said a lot of conversations on that topic are already underway.
Millbern says the initial wave of cases in so-called essential businesses, namely industry or factory settings, has subsided thanks to a range of mitigation strategies. The current caseload is being seen in small businesses and also from social activities, including trips to bars and nightclubs, parties or sports events.
Millbern encourages people to call the Public Health COVID-19 hotline at 208-3741 with any questions they may have about coronavirus.
