Community Corner

Taking Community RESPONSIBILITY

by Denton County Judge Andy Eads photo courtesy of Judge Andy Eads

Many of you have reached out in recent days as much larger counties with higher case counts have taken steps to require face masks in businesses.

I believe this situation does include wearing a mask, but it is about much more than a mask. It is about a temporary lifestyle change.

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the way we go about our daily lives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing your hands frequently, avoiding close contact with others outside of your household, covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and monitoring your health.

These few simple steps can also make a difference and reduce exposure:

Instead of going to the grocery story multiple times a week, plan one or two trips instead;

Take advantage of patio dining at your favorite restaurants or curbside service and delivery at local businesses;

Worship responsibly – Sit 6 feet away from fellow congregants while attending services;

Wear a mask when interacting with people outside your household, this includes inside businesses and personal settings;

When you wear a mask, you are wearing it for everyone else. If all of us wear masks when in contact with each other, we help one another.

Moreover, check in with your vulnerable neighbors, friends and relatives to see if they need anything to reduce their potential for exposure.

I am sure we all know someone who could use a helping hand and I am asking us all to use this time to help our fellow residents. If you would like to volunteer to help in these efforts, contact us at volunteercovid19@dentoncounty.com.

These simple and innovative steps can significantly reduce the chance of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Our Denton County Public Health team closely monitors the situation in our county and, while the positivity rate has increased, the availability of hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators has not increased dramatically. We continue to monitor these Denton County metrics daily as well as the metrics in the hospitals across DFW.

As we experience an uptick in cases, it is not the time to panic. Instead, we need to focus our reliable, local statistics.

We each have the responsibility to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Yet we also need to exercise community responsibility.

When you wear a mask, you are wearing it for everyone else. If all of us wear masks when in contact with each other, we help one another. That is what community is all about. It is also a courtesy to others working on the frontlines. The more voluntary participation we have, the less likely a mandatory mask requirement will be needed. Together, hopefully we can find a collective path forward to reduce COVID-19 transmission without resorting to mandates.

Do the responsible thing. Wear a mask. For real-time Denton County Health Statistics check out www.dentoncounty.

gov/COVIDstats.