Coronavirus: Hamilton BOH Encourages Residents To Wear Masks

HAMILTON, MA — The Hamilton Board of Health is encouraging residents to wear face masks to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. In a message to the community, the board said it recognizes the controversy surrounding the use of face masks but believes the benefits outweigh the negatives.

"In the judgement of the board, the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives, provided that Hamilton residents do not attempt to accumulate N95 or surgical masks, because those must be reserved for hospitals and medical/EMT professionals," the board said in a statement.

The board lists the benefits of the masks as:

1) Provide at least some – not 100% but better than nothing – protection from airborne transmission of COVID19, both for the wearer (from others) and for the public (from the person wearing the mask if they are infected but don’t know it)

2) To helps inhibit someone from touching their own mouth, nose, and eyes

3) To encourage others, upon seeing the mask wearer, to move away from them, thus achieving the critical result of “social distancing”

4) To sends a subconscious signal to everyone that maybe it’s time to do the same for selfish reasons