Oakland County orders essential workers wear face masks at job
OAKLAND CO., Mich. - Oakland County is bolstering up its restrictions on residents in an effort to curb the COVID-19 spread. While much of the order will mimic guidelines already recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new order now mandates all essential workers operating in jobs that have face-to-face interaction with the public must wear a face mask.
Signed off Monday, all workers employed at grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and locations where social distancing measures are not possible must use a facial cover that "snugly covers the face and mouth, whether store-bought or homemade and which is secured with ties or ear loops."
Essential workers in Oakland Co. now ordered to wear face masks
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter held a press conference Tuesday to talk about the new order and a new testing site in Pontiac.
These masks don't include the N95-rated masks as those are critical supplies reserved for health care workers and first responders.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter held a press conference Tuesday to talk about the new order, as well as elaborate on a new drive-thru testing site.
It will be on the government campus in Pontiac, similar to the site at the state fairgrounds in Detroit. It will be open on Thursday and will test about 250 people a day.
The new face-covering order also comes with an emphasis on a daily screening deployed by all businesses still operating under the Michigan Governor's Stay Safe, Stay Home executive order. Screening criteria must include:
- Symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and/or diarrhea. When a touchless thermometer is available, a temperature check is strongly recommended
- Any close contact in the last 14 days with someone with a diagnosis of COVID-19
- Travel internationally or domestically in the last 14 days
Anyone who responds yes to any of these questions must self-quarantine for 72 hours with no fever AND other symptoms improve AND at least seven days have passed since the symptoms first appeared.
Oakland County is also getting a new drive-thru testing site on the government campus in Pontiac, similar to the site at the state fairgrounds in Detroit. It will be open on Thursday and will test about 250 people a day.
If you'd like to craft your own mask, FOX 2 has created a step-by-step guide for making one. Find it here and watch the video guide below:
How to make a mask using a T-shirt, no sewing required
A step-by-step tutorial on how to make a mask using an old T-shirt -- no sewing necessary.
RELATED: Is it the flu, a cold or COVID-19? Different viruses present similar symptoms
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
To protect yourself, wash your hands well and often, keep them away from your face, and avoid crowds and standing close to people.
Are you showing symptoms? Try Beaumont's virtual screening tool
And if you do find yourself showing any of these flu or coronavirus symptoms - don't go straight to your doctor's office. That just risks making more people sick, officials urge. Call ahead, and ask if you need to be seen and where.
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