Gov. Kemp Urging Georgians to Wear Face Coverings In Public

GEORGIA — Gov. Brian Kemp, Dr. Kathleen Toomey, and the Georgia Department of Public Health urge all Georgians to continue to follow safe daily habits to reduce risk of exposure to the coronavirus and keep the virus from spreading. Wear a face covering in public settings, practice social distancing, and wash your hands frequently.

A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people are in a community setting where social distancing may be difficult, such as in the grocery store, picking up food at a restaurant, or riding public transportation and especially in areas of widespread community transmission of coronavirus. Cloth face coverings help slow the spread of the virus and help people who may be infected and not know it from transmitting it to others.

Cloth face coverings should allow for breathing without restriction, cover the nose and mouth, and be laundered and machine dried after use. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under the age of 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone who is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The use of cloth face coverings does not take the place of social distancing. Stay at least 6-feet from other people, do not gather in groups, stay out of crowded places, and avoid mass gatherings.

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer - at least 60 percent alcohol - when soap and water are not readily available. Practice good health hygiene, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has easy-to-follow instructions on how to make a low-cost cloth face covering.

1. Bandanna/Shirt Face Covering (No-Sew Method) from the CDC

Materials Needed:

• Bandanna (or square cotton cloth about 20 by 20 inches)
• Coffee filter (optional)
• Rubber bands or hair ties
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut the bottom off the folded coffee filter. Keep the top.
2. Fold your bandanna or shirt in half lengthwise.
3. Fold the cut filter in the center of the folded bandanna/T-shirt. Then fold the bandanna top down and bottom up.
4. Place rubber bands or hair ties around the bandanna or shirt about 6 inches apart.
5. Fold the side of bandanna or shirt to the middle and tuck.
6. Your face mask should be ready to wear.

A step-by-step tutorial of this method with accompanying images is available on the CDC website.

Sewn Cloth Face Covering

Materials

• Two 10"x6" rectangles of cotton fabric
• Two 6" pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties)
• Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Tutorial

1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric.
2. Fold over the long sides ¼ inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over ½ inch along the short sides and stitch down.

2. Quick Cut T-shirt Face Covering (no sew method)

Materials

• T-shirt
• Scissors

1. Cut 7 to 8 inches off the bottom of a T-shirt
2. Cut a rectangle section out of that material, using the longest portion of fabric as strings.
3. Tie strings around your neck and over the top of your head.

3. Sewn Cloth Face Covering From The CDC

Material Needed:

• Two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric
• Two 6-inch pieces of elastic (or rubber bands, string, cloth strips or hair ties)
• Needle and thread (or bobby pin)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine

Steps:

1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Stack the two rectangles and sew the mask as if it was a single piece of fabric.
2. Fold over the long sides a quarter-inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over a half-inch along the short sides and stitch down.
3. Run a 6-inch length of one-eighth-inch-wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tightly.
4. Lightly pull on the elastic so the knots are inside the hem. Gather the side of the mask on the elastic to adjust so the fabric fits your face.

See more: GA Coronavirus: 4 Ways To Make Face Masks