Thread: "IF YOU LEAVE YOUR PLACE, COVER YOUR FACE"

People who fail to wear a face mask or scarf outdoors in Laredo, Texas could get fined $1,000

Under newly adopted rules, every resident of Loredo, Texas, over age 5 will have to wear a homemade mask, scarf or bandanna when entering a building, ...
Daily Mail

In the 1918 flu pandemic, not wearing a mask was illegal

CNN

Riverside County orders all residents to cover their faces when leaving home

[COLOR=var(--primaryTextColor)]Riverside County officials on Saturday ordered all residents to cover their faces when leaving home. Above, a man wearing a face mask outside at LAX.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The new order marks a dramatic escalation by county officials in their attempts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

By ADAM ELMAHREKSTAFF WRITER
APRIL 5, 2020 4:59 AM

Riverside County’s public health officer on Saturday ordered all residents to cover their faces when leaving home, marking a dramatic escalation by county officials in their attempts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Dr. Cameron Kaiser said despite previous pleas from county officials for residents to socially distance, cover their faces and stay home, “more and more” residents were getting infected with the virus, and “not everyone’s getting the message.”

This coverage of the coronavirus pandemic is part of your subscription to The San Diego Union-Tribune. We also provide free coverage as a service to our community.

“We change from saying that you should to saying that you must,” Kaiser said in a prepared statement published by the county.

As of Saturday, Riverside County has reported 665 confirmed cases of COVID-19, while 18 people have died from the disease, officials said.

Face coverings can include bandannas, scarves, “or other clothing that does not have visible holes,” according to a prepared statement from the county. Medical grade masks, like the N95, should be reserved for healthcare workers and first responders, the statement said.

Los Angeles and the Bay Area had previously urged residents to cover their mouths and noses, and San Diego County yesterday ordered all essential workers to do the same, part of a broader effort among local governments and the state to flatten the curve of the pandemic before hospitals become overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

But Riverside County’s new mandate is far more strict, requiring anyone who leaves the house to cover up.

The order also bans all gatherings of people except for family members residing in the same home, according to the county’s news release.

The sharply worded news release said that police officers have the power to enforce the orders “as they deem necessary.”

“We have already lost two of our deputies to this virus. I am asking all of you to honor them by staying at home,” said Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The gatherings ban also applies to places of worship, according to the county. Essential businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations are not affected.

One official noted that for Christians, Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the week preceding Easter, and that this was a good time to show their love for their neighbors.

“Palm Sunday, Passover and Easter are sacred days. The best way to practice our love for God is loving our fellow neighbor. That means staying home and observing the holidays at home,” said county Board of Supervisors Chairman V. Manuel Perez.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...n-leaving-home

San Diego MTS Nixes Cash Fares, Allows Rear-Door Boarding On Buses

Thursday, April 2, 2020
By Andrew Bowen

CREDIT: METROPOLITAN TRANSIT SYSTEM

Above: A San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus is seen in this undated photo.

The Metropolitan Transit System this week eliminated cash fare payments on buses and has instructed able-bodied passengers to board via the rear doors in an effort to protect drivers from the spread of the coronavirus.

The change was made Wednesday and announced announced to the MTS executive committee via teleconference on Thursday. Front-door boarding is still allowed for seniors and people with disabilities.

Boarding and fare payment on trolleys remains the same since drivers are already separated from passengers and each trolley station is equipped with ticket vending machines.

PHOTO CREDIT: METROPOLITAN TRANSIT SYSTEM

An illustration directs MTS bus passengers to board via the rear doors.


MTS has seen its ridership plummet by roughly 70% since the coronavirus pandemic forced the vast majority of San Diegans to stay at home for all but essential trips, MTS CEO Paul Jablonski told executive committee members Thursday. He, however, added that the agency is still carrying between 90,000 and 100,000 passengers every day.

The pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the MTS budget. The agency is expecting a shortfall of roughly $28 million in the current fiscal year after accounting for lost revenue from sales tax, fares, advertising and property leases, and increased costs related to the crisis. Aid for transit agencies included in the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress last week could alleviate those losses, however, with the San Diego region expected to get more than $314 million.

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MTS has pledged it will maintain regular bus and trolley schedules through April 12 to allow the remaining riders to practice the "social distancing" recommended by health officials. After April 12, it is preparing to potentially cut bus and trolley frequencies to more closely match ridership demands.

Jablonski said the changes to the fare and boarding policies have been well received by bus drivers and passengers alike. Passengers boarding through the rear doors are asked to simply flash their Compass Card or mobile phone ticket to the driver.

"People that were going to pay by cash, we just tell them, 'sit down and ride and try to come up with another method in the next day or so,'" he said.

"It's kind of on the honor system."

Jablonski said MTS was not eliminating fares all together out of concern that it would undermine the public health orders for people to stay at home and stay at least six feet away from people who are not part of their household. He said the remaining ridership was likely limited to essential workers such as first responders, grocery clerks, janitors or security officers.

"We really don't want to encourage additional ridership," Jablonski said. "The people that are riding now have to ride, and we want to keep it that way without creating more riders than we need to.

I know that sounds counterintuitive."

MTS staffers are also preparing to launch a marketing campaign to win back ridership once businesses are allowed to open again.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/apr/0...-boarding-bus/

San Bernardino County Sun

San Bernardino County recommends covering face in public to avoid spreading coronavirus

“If you do use a face covering, make sure to practice frequent hand washing before and after touching and adjusting the covering.” The county ...
3 days ago


OCRegister

Orange County health officials now recommend face coverings in public

People should wear a face covering “if they feel comfortable doing so”; Wash your hands after touching the mask; Continue to stay home when ...
3 days ago

52 citations issued in San Diego, county over violations of stay-home order

April 6, 2020
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https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/polit...ion/index.html