The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: face coverings

  • Face coverings are vital to preventing spread of COVID-19

    Face coverings are vital to preventing spread of COVID-19

    Humboldt State University taking necessary first step by requiring students and faculty to wear face coverings on campus.

    Humboldt State University, after being closed since March, has reopened six months after the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. HSU was approved by the California State University system to offer “limited face-to-face courses this fall,” according to the HSU website. Considering the circumstances, HSU is taking the right precautions to keep both the students and faculty safe.

    The university announced safety precautions on Aug. 4, which includes wearing face coverings with at least two layers of 100% cotton. These are required on campus at all times, both indoors and outdoors. HSU will provide students with face coverings at the campus Police Department, the first floor of Student and Business Services building, Jolly Giant Commons, College Creek Market and the Parking Kiosk.

    Other precautions include practicing social distancing of six feet at all times when possible, refraining from gathering in groups, staying away from crowds, frequent washing of hands with soap and water and using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. The commitment to the precautions established by HSU represents a social responsibility that keeps us safe, as long as we follow them.

    Although wearing masks is uncomfortable, research has shown that they prevent transmission of coronavirus when worn correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the spread of COVID-19 mainly results from settings where people are in close contact with each other, so the use of masks are especially effective in environments such as universities.

    Different kinds of masks “block [the] virus to a different degree, but they all block the virus from getting in,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, San Francisco, to The New York Times. No matter what type of face coverings people wear, it is still much more protective than not wearing one at all.

    It’s also important to wear masks correctly, covering both one’s mouth and nose at all times. They need to be secured to the face without being too loose or too tight, making sure people are still able to breathe. They also need to be worn hands-free. Working at a grocery store during this pandemic, I’ve seen multiple people’s masks fall to their necks and they try to hold it up to their face, which leads to the spread of particles. Touching masks is unsanitary, so washing hands with soap and water is critical. The risk of spreading respiratory particles is much higher if the mask is not worn correctly.

    Masks are only one of many protocols HSU has enforced. Students were instructed to follow safety protocols on Aug. 15 when over 200 of the 800 students moved into on-campus housing. All students were expected to self-quarantine for 14 days following their move-in day. Considering the risks of the spread of COVID-19, the university made the correct decision to reduce the number of students allowed to live in on-campus housing. It was also decided to make all rooms single occupancy.

    Following health protocols is crucial, especially during a global pandemic. Wearing masks on campus has been mandated for all students and faculty members, and will be a major part in limiting the transmission of COVID-19. It will be especially important this fall when some students and faculty will be taking part in hybrid learning, which includes limited face-to-face contact.

  • A Simple Favor, Wear Your Mask Correctly … Please

    A Simple Favor, Wear Your Mask Correctly … Please

    Wearing a mask correctly shouldn’t be a hassle or the worst part of your day.

    All I ask is, “Ma’am, can you please put your mask over your nose?” “Sir, your mask needs to be worn at all times. Thank you.” “Yes, masks are required here.”

    When a mask is being worn correctly, it has to cover both the mouth and nose. Think of it this way, the mask is meant to prevent any respiratory droplets from spreading to other people and elements around you. These particles come from your mouth and nose.

    These face coverings aren’t much, but they are one of the best defenses we have, alongside staying home and social distancing. Now, who would have thought that such a simple and minuscule request can cause such hostility and chaos?

    I’m a retail worker in a small business. I wear a mask, over my mouth and nose, for five hours a day and expose myself to locals and tourists. Some days, I’ll be in contact with 20 people and other days, I can be in contact with close to 100 people.

    I will never understand why people try so hard to fight against wearing face masks correctly.

    I fear for my life and sanity every day. There are crazy stories circulating around the internet of customers harassing and assaulting workers for trying to enforce these health orders. A retail worker in Modesto was brutally attacked, a crazy lady in Trader Joes in North Hollywood making a huge scene and the worst, most extreme case I have heard so far, a security guard being shot and killed.

    My co-workers and I always brace ourselves for whatever may happen for calling someone out. We have gotten glares, we’ve been ignored, ridiculed and even belittled just for asking someone to wear a mask or wear it correctly. We have had out-of-state tourists obnoxiously defy the rules we have set for our store, for them to then leave our store and express how much they hate California’s rules.

    C’est la vie de 2020.

    I will never understand why people try so hard to fight against wearing face masks correctly.

    There have been customers that have come in and complained of not being able to breathe with the mask on. My solution is to stay at home. If you cannot breathe with a mask on, you’re already vulnerable and should not be outside. If you’re bothered at the thought of wearing a face covering for 10 minutes in a small gift shop, maybe you shouldn’t be out and shopping for home decor.

    In order for many of these small businesses to be open, they needed to be approved by the state. My boss had to fill out a very lengthy form to re-open her business. She had to describe every action we, as employees, would do to ensure we are all safely navigating this pandemic.

    If you see any shop with state/county paperwork taped in their front window, they had to apply to re-open as well. If a customer or employee ends up testing positive, the entire shop has to be shut down.

    These face coverings are for the safety of yourself and those around you. This isn’t a time to be individualistic, this is a time where you need to put your ego aside and realize that your selfish actions can potentially harm a business, a person next to you or the family they go home to.

    Wearing your mask correctly to cover both your nose and mouth won’t kill you, but refusing to do it at all can.