Galionite

Galion Ohio Coronavirus Update: July 22, 2020

Today, July 22, 2020, Governor DeWine implemented a statewide requirement to wear a mask in public places starting at 6:00pm on July 23rd.

This comes after President Trump's announcement yesterday that he believes wearing a mask is the patriotic thing to do (though he mentioned that he probably won't wear one...)

My last coronavirus update about ways to help slow the spread of Covid-19 was on April 3, 2020, so a few months have passed - and what a few months it's been!

The Current Ohio Face Mask Order

According to a news release from ABC6:

"Under the order, masks must be worn at all times when:
At an indoor location that is not a residence.
Outdoors, when unable to maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
When waiting for riding, driving, or operating public transportation.
DeWine said the order only requires those 10 and older to wear and mask. The order also includes exceptions for people who do not need to wear a mask:
Those with a medical condition or disability or those communicating with someone with a disability.
Those who are actively exercising or playing sports.
Those who are officiants at religious services.
Those who are actively involved in public safety.
Those who are actively eating or drinking."

How Much Can Refusing to Wear a Mask in Public Cost YOU?

The potential fine for not wearing a mask in Ohio is $750.

While it's currently unknown if the mandate will be enforced locally, it's noteworthy that it creates an easy option for municipalities, such as Galion, to increase revenue - which may be sadly needed due to reductions in income taxes due to Covid-19 shutdowns.

Face Masks: Dividing the Country?

While the number of coronavirus cases in Galion and surrounding Crawford County, Ohio has remained low when compared to other parts of the state and country, the polarization over the existence of the virus and the topic of wearing a mask to protect yourself and others has been immense.

Instead of being treated as an opportunity to protect others and our families, it has developed into a mainly Republican vs Democrat issue - with many Republicans declaring Covid-19 a hoax and refusing to wear masks while many Democrats are following the science and wearing a mask to help prevent the spread of a disease that has already killed over 144,000 Americans, as of today.

The Role of Panic Buying in the Mask Debate

Another part of the divide began in the early days of coronavirus being announced in the US, when people were hoarding toilet paper, food, cleaning supplies, and anything else they could get in the mad rush on the stores.

In an effort to keep individuals from buying up all the PPE (personal protective equipment), such as face masks, the government announced that face masks wouldn't help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Early Indicators That Cloth Facemasks Are Effective Against Covid

One telling sign about the effectiveness of cloth face masks, early on, that cloth face masks are effective in fighting the spread of Covid-19 is the fact that many hospitals and nursing homes were requesting people in the community to make and donate face masks at home.

These medical facilities obviously wouldn't have been requesting homemade face masks if they didn't offer some protection to workers and patients.

Links to Official Information About Covid-19 and Face Masks

The information about the effectiveness of wearing facemasks to stop the spread of disease, for both the wearer and others nearby, was, however, available online through FDA documents the entire time and has been recently updated here.

The CDC has since changed that stance officially to let people know that cloth facemasks do slow and stop the spread of this virus.

The Galion City Schools are announcing an update about providing face shields, and I wanted to share a link to that information, too.

Thanks for visiting Galionite today, and I hope you found this Ohio Coronavirus and face mask mandate information helpful. Be sure to visit us on Facebook or bookmark this site so you can easily return for frequent updates about things that are going on in Galion and the surrounding area.

What Can Galionites Do to Help Stop the Spread of Coronavirus?

Helping to stop the rapid spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) means taking a few measures to protect yourself on a personal level in order to also protect everyone else in the community. You've probably seen most of these tips numerous times at this point if you've been online or watched the news, but the reasoning behind everyone wearing face masks is newer.

Stop the Spread of Coronavirus Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

Wear a Facemask to Help Stop the Spread of Coronavirus

~~For the past couple of days, the CDC has been in the news for considering making the recommendation that all Americans wear face masks when going out in public.~~ Updated 4/3/2020:

The CDC is now recommending that Americans wear face masks when going out in public to reduce the spread of coronavirus. It is currently optional, though some states have already made it mandatory. ~~The requirement is likely to be announced in the next few days given the importance of it.~~ The reason behind that is that they believe it will help slow the spread of coronavirus and reduce the number of deaths from it.

“One of the [pieces of] information that we have pretty much confirmed now is that a significant number of individuals that are infected actually remain asymptomatic,” CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield told NPR on Tuesday.

That may be as many as 25 percent. That’s important, because now you have individuals that may not have any symptoms that can contribute to transmission, and we have learned that in fact they do contribute to transmission,” he added."

Since medical professionals are facing a shortage of PPE, the best way to get a facemask is by making one or having someone you know make one or two for you.
Another way is to order them on an auction site, such as eBay, where facilities like the Galion hospital, Avita, wouldn't be shopping for PPE anyway - if they were, by the way, they would find numerous boxes in quantities ranging from 50 to 500 and numerous styles and thicknesses of handcrafted masks.

No one is suggesting you run out and buy the masks that hospital workers need, and part of the CDC's hesitation to make this announcement falls back to the tendency people have to hoard and panic-buy. So, don't go buy masks from a hospital supplier - but do make one or find someone to make one for you.

Homemade ones are more stylish and visually appealing anyway - no reason you can't look good while protecting yourself and everyone else from COVID-19.

If you use a homemade cotton mask. clean it properly after each use. Sanitize it by laundering and steaming or hot-ironing it. If you use disposable masks, remove them properly and dispose of them so nothing and no one else can touch them. Wash hands carefully after removing masks.

Never share masks that have been worn with someone else - to avoid the spread of contagions.

You may have also heard that surgical masks and homemade face masks don't protect the person wearing them, only others around the wearer - however - common sense dictates that isn't 100 percent factual. If they did nothing to protect the wearer, hospital workers wouldn't wear them to protect themselves, and the FDA agrees, though note that the protection isn't complete.

While the main point of wearing surgical-style masks, including homemade face masks, is to protect others from anything contagious you may be carrying, such as coronavirus, they do also offer the wearer some protection, according to the FDA,

"If worn properly, a surgical mask is meant to help block large-particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter that may contain germs (viruses and bacteria), keeping it from reaching your mouth and nose. Surgical masks may also help reduce exposure of your saliva and respiratory secretions to others."

So, if you're wearing a mask and someone sneezes or coughs nearby, you're safer than you would be without a face mask.

Protect Yourself and Others From COVID-19 by Keeping Your Distance

I'm so sick of the phrase social distancing - I hate to even use it; however, what they call it is irrelevant. COVID-19 spreads through the air around an infected person for several feet.

Honestly, I doubt the six-foot rule that's currently in play is enough, based on an interview I read where the doctor being interviewed said spittle from sneezing and coughing goes out about 10 feet before falling downward - and from an episode of Myth Busters I watched long ago - but no one asked me.

So, keep your distance from others when you go out for food and necessities to protect others and yourself.

Wash Your Hands a Lot

We've all been hearing how important it is to wash your hands since we were kids. Well, it's more important than ever now that we're facing down a highly contagious pandemic virus.

Any time you touch anything that another person has touched or breathed on, make time to wash up - oh - and don't touch your face. That's surprisingly hard, but the good news is, wearing a mask can help remind you by making you aware when you reach up to touch your face.

Use Hand Sanitizer and Wipe Off Shopping Carts

Hand washing is best, but when you can't get to soap and water, hand sanitizer can help protect you.

Wiping off shopping cart handles can also offer some protection from a frequently touched germ-spreader. It's a really good idea to tuck an alcohol-based wet-wipe in a plastic sandwich bag to take with you when you have to go to the store - in case the store you visit doesn't provide wipes or have someone wiping carts off for you,

Basically, you need to do a few common sense things to protect yourself and others from the risk of coronavirus. when you're out and about in Galion and the surrounding communities.

Thanks for reading, and be safe when you're out and about in the community. Also, be kind. This is an unusual time and everyone, not just you, is under more stress than normal, so a little extra kindness can go a long way.

Sources:

Warmer Weather, Gray Skies, and So Far No Coronavirus in Galion

Here it is Friday, March 20, 2020 and the air is warm and springlike outside - 66 degrees as I write this, to be precise. The sky's looking pretty gray and it's windy, but the warm weather is a mood booster (for me anyway) in spite of the gloomy skies.

Galionite COVID-19 Social Distancing Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Galion Coronavirus Update

Checking back in with an update on the two Galionites who were recently tested for Coronavirus.

The tests results for these two individuals came back negative, according to an article in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum. This is such great news for the people involved and for the community, though realistically, the virus is likely to make an appearance in the Galion area sometime soon.

Precautions are still needed, in that we're still being asked to keep a safe distance from others, wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer when soap and water aren't an option, and not touch our faces. (Good, common-sense advice for avoiding disease any time really.)

Recent Coronavirus Closings

Since my last update post, Ohio has placed a few more bans due to coronavirus, in hopes of stopping its spread - including hair salons, tattoo parlors, nail salons, and the BMV - except for CDL-related transactions.

The BMV closing for coronavirus was a surprise, because I haven't seen any updates about what people who need to renew driver's licenses, who need first-time permits and licenses, and those who need to get State IDs are supposed to do - or if affected drivers will be allowed to drive without being ticketed until the BMV reopens.

Galion Weekend Weather Forecast

So, as we head into what looks to be a dull weekend because pretty much everything is closed, I find myself glad I'm a writer because I have plenty to do - and wondering what everyone else is doing. It's pretty muddy from teh recent rain, so yard work would be challenging, though the weekend weather is predicted to be pleasant - a touch chilly with a high of 35 degrees Saturday and 46 degrees on Sunday, but no rain forecasted until Monday.

Comments are welcome if you want to chat about coronavirus, things to do, the weather, or anything else. The comments section is open below each post here on the Galionite website.