SOUTH BEND - There has been a lot of discussion about wearing a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. It is imperative to wear a mask because mask-wearing may protect you from severe COVID-19, and it doesn't just protect others from COVID-19, it protects you from infection, and perhaps serious illness, too. Though there is no direct evidence on the effectiveness for healthy people wearing masks, it can prevent contaminated people from infecting others. Also the act of wearing a mask actually helps the economy, since it helps stop the spread.
Unfortunately, a lot of people still refuse to wear masks - even though in Washington not wearing a mask in public can cost you a $1,000 fine if law enforcement chooses to enforce it. The sad fact of it all is that it has turned into a political item. In a Gallup Poll last week, 98 percent of Democrats said they wore a mask outside the home, compared to 65% Republicans and 85% independents.
Nationally, a lot of businesses are not allowing customers in their establishments unless a mask is worn. Many stores are now requiring masks to enter, some include Kroger, Starbucks, Home Depot, Verizon, Best Buy, Walgreens, Target, Costco, Dollar Tree, Panera Bread, and Walmart to name a few. Businesses in Thurston County are getting fines if caught letting customers inside without a mask being worn.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an order requiring the use of face masks in indoor public spaces. The order applies to business owners, employees and people visiting indoor public spaces. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order mandating the use of face masks in indoor public spaces and outdoor public spaces when social distancing is not possible.
County commissioners Frank Wolfe and Lisa Olsen talked with the Herald about Inslee's order to wear a mask in public.
Wolfe offered his thoughts about wearing a mask during the pandemic.
"Masks and mask-wearing seems to be a hot-button issue right now,"Wolfe said. "I wear a mask, at least in public, as a trivial thing I can do to significantly reduce any danger I might pose to others. The mask I wear directly benefits me very little. The idea is the mask protects those around me. There are some folks that have medical reasons not to wear a mask, and I can certainly respect that. If someone is having difficulty breathing then they don't need the added burden of the mask. Otherwise, what's the 'down side' of wearing a mask?
"If everyone wore a mask in public, and stayed at least six feet from everyone else, those two measures alone would reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus significantly," Wolfe added. "That is the point. It is a very minor action, with no real burden attached that can significantly prevent the spread of this disease. We have been lucky here in Pacific County, with relatively few cases of COVID-19. It would be nice to keep it that way."
Wolfe commented about Gov. Inslee's order for Washingtonians to wear masks in public spaces or face stiff fines.
"If I consider the Governor's point of view, looking at the Puget Sound area where he is, with thousands of people sick and hundreds of deaths, I think I'd take it seriously, too," Wolfe said. "Knowing that wearing a mask in public has been shown to significantly lessen the spread of this disease, and they are literally cheap enough to give away, it seems like a smart thing to do. Of course, there are those who will not be inclined to wear one.
"When his order first came out, that was the situation," Wolfe said. "A significant number of people simply didn't wear a mask. We are apparently at a place where people need an incentive to follow the law, even when it's a good idea in the first place. A $1,000 (fine) is certainly an incentive. The actual amount of any fine would be adjudicated by a judge. I am unaware of any citations or fines in Pacific County for this offense to date.
"Now, if you talk with local law enforcement, they will say they are very busy already and enforcing mask-wearing is well down their list of priorities," Wolfe said.
"There was a situation reported (two weeks ago) on the boardwalk in Long Beach, where a woman was wearing a mask and walking, and two males not wearing masks allegedly made fun of her for wearing one and spit on her," Wolfe pointed out. "That last item can be prosecuted as assault. If this sort of thing is happening in Long Beach, then I can only imagine what Puget Sound must be like.
"When you consider the permanent health consequences, not to mention hospital bills, attached to catching this virus, why would a citizen, in good conscience, not wear a mask in public? It costs next-to-nothing, and can provide a life-long benefit if it only helps one other person. While your mask is for the benefit of those around you, their masks are all protecting you. It only works if we all get together for the common good.
"A person can feel perfectly fine and still be spreading the virus for days before feeling sick," Wolfe noted. "That's one of the reasons this particular virus is so nasty. This is not like getting the flu. We are all in this together."
Recently, before the spike in coronavirus resurfaced in the state, Commissioner Olsen presented her views about the mask order.
"I am not sure that the governor has the authority without the legislature for this prolonged State of Emergency," Olsen said. "I am also not convinced that the $1,000 fine is legal, but sadly, many that might get one would not have the means to challenge such an overreach in court nor the disposable income to easily pay the fine.
"I also think the time for such a stringent stance was months ago when, reportedly, the virus was stronger and we were being told that the masks were not mandatory, nor necessarily, beneficial," Commissioner Lisa Olsen added. "Confused? Me too! Having said all that, I do not think it hurts a thing to wear them when you cannot physically distance, especially if you are compromised and it makes you feel safer. I do feel sorry for those in the public that are required to wear them every day all day in their work setting as I am not sure that is healthy either."