Commentary: Please protect yourself and others by wearing a mask in public

By Cottie Petrie-Norris

June 16, 2020 6:21 PM PT

The past two months have been devastating: 119,000 American lives lost, 5.1 million Californians filing for unemployment and pushed to the brink, hungry children and empty food banks.

It is heartbreaking.

Alongside this enormous loss, there is a self-inflicted wound: the politicization of this pandemic.

This is proving to be every bit as dangerous and destructive as the virus itself.

Sadly, some of our elected leaders seem to be less interested in solving problems or confronting this crisis than they are in fanning these flames, getting column inches and raising campaign donations.

I won’t mention any names. But if you think I’m talking about you, chances are you’re probably right.

We are in the transition phase of our COVID-19 response — moving from lockdown and taking careful steps to reopen our economy safely and responsibly.

The challenges we face could not be more profound, and the stakes could not be higher.

Our success or failure depends on the actions of each one of us. And by taking simple, common-sense precautions, we will all be part of the solution:

Wash your hands.
Don’t touch your face — or other people.
Wear a mask to protect yourself and other people.

Allow me a moment to dispel some not-so-common misconceptions:

Wearing a mask isn’t part of a global conspiracy. It’s just a common-sense health precaution, as prescribed by the O.C. Public Health Agency, California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

You don’t wear a mask because you’re afraid of the mask police; you wear a mask because it reduces the spread of germs and is the right thing to do. You don’t wash your hands after you use the bathroom because you’re afraid of the bathroom police; you wash your hands because it stops the spread of germs and is the right thing to do (at least I certainly hope you do).

This would almost be laughable if it weren’t so insidious and dangerous. Just last week, this controversy forced Orange County’s public health officer to resign after threats to herself and her family were so serious as to require constant police protection.

We are reopening our economy and returning to some semblance of normalcy. But this pandemic is far from over. As we continue to fight this virus, common sense and common decency will go a very long way.

The writer is a state assemblywoman.

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Commentary: Please protect yourself and others by wearing a mask in public

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