NANTUCKET – Nantucket Cottage Hospital has issued a statement assuring the island community that they are aware of and are following new recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention urging residents to wear protective cloth coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The CDC said that these recommendations are for when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as shopping in grocery stores and pharmacies.
The CDC said that these measures are important in areas of significant community-based transmission.
They said that maintaining a 6 foot minimum distance from others still remains a priority to slow the spread of the virus, in addition to the use of a simple cloth face covering.
Experts said the coverings are important as people who may have the virus without knowing could transmit the infection to others.
The cloth coverings and masks can be fashioned from household items or made from low cost, common materials.
The CDC said that it is critical that surgical masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.
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