CLEVELAND — Some local health leaders are still urging shoppers to wear masks while in public, even though Ohio Governor Mike DeWine dropped the state mandate requiring mask for consumers.
Governor DeWine did an about-face on the April 27 mandate requiring customers and visitors to wear masks while inside business and outlets after he said too many Ohio residents found the mandate too restrictive.
“People looked at this and they said that’s just one government mandate too far, and it’s just too much, and this is wrong,” DeWine said.
DeWine said he is still strongly recommending consumers wear mask, and said it's up to individual businesses to decide if they'll require masks.
Dr. Amy Edwards, a Pediatric Disease Specialist at University Hospitals, told News 5 consumers should still wear masks when shopping as a form of protection for themselves and others.
“If everybody wears a mask, well then nobody is shedding the virus onto other people,” Edwards said.
"You have to cover the entire nose and mouth. It really does need to cover that whole area, ideally even tucking under the chin a little bit so it doesn’t come loose.”
"With masks, I do think two layers are better than one layer, because that increase it’s ability to catch your droplets.”
“I think that what employers are going to need to do is look at how they provide their service to their customers, or clients, and how their employees are going to be spaced apart.”
Dr. Dariush Saghafi, with Parma Neurology, is requiring anyone entering his private practice on Ridge Road wear a mask, no matter what the state mandate.
“Having everyone masked, having everyone following the same guidelines and the same rules, it makes sense from a medical point of view,” Saghafi said.
“Whether he had mandated it or not I think we would still be requiring that in our office setting.”
“And if you don’t wear a mask, not only are you risking the release of viral particles into your environment, which can be a contamination hazard for others, you yourself are at risk.”
