So we’ve been faithfully wearing our masks whenever we’ve been out in public since all this COVID-19 craziness began to hit home back in the middle of March. The masks felt really weird at first but slowly it’s become more routine with each passing day. Wearing a mask doesn’t really bother me. It’s just a new part of the world we live in now.

Yesterday, Ohio’s Governor announced a mask mandate for seven Ohio counties that are classified at Level 3 under the state’s Public Health Advisory Alert System. The county we live in, Hamilton County, is one of those counties. Now, masks will be required for everyone when they’re out in public…

Starting Thursday, masks are mandatory inside public spaces in the city. That includes grocery and retail stores, health care facilities, restaurants, bars, the gym and buses, to name a few. The penalty for violators is a civil fine of $25.

Cincinnati’s mask mandate goes along with an order from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine that requires masks in seven counties, including Hamilton and Butler counties in Southwest Ohio, as long as those counties are considered red under Ohio’s new COVID-19 alert system. DeWine’s order takes effect at 6 pm on Wednesday.

Here’s an interesting statistic… If 95% of Americans wore face masks in public, it could prevent 33,000 deaths by October 1, according to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. And that’s nothing to sneeze at.

US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams also said if people want more businesses to reopen and stay open, everyone should wear a mask. “Face coverings → less asymptomatic viral spread → more places open, and sooner!”

I think everyone really needs to take their own responsibility and try to do the best they can with this ever-changing situation out in the world. And wearing a mask when we’re out and practicing our social distancing is a big part of that.

We believe in face masks because we’re all #InThisTogetherOhio. 😀😷🦠❤️