CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The wearing of masks and other face coverings in public was being promoted in Kanawha County for Mother’s Day Weekend.
All weekend, the social media accounts for the Kanawha County Commission, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and the City of Charleston featured familiar faces, many of them moms, wearing masks to encourage their use to limit coronavirus spread.
The campaign was called #moms4masks.
“Wearing a mask is extremely selfless because it’s not about protecting you, it’s about protecting everyone around you,” said Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin, a mother of two sons.
“I know to be a good mom to them is not only to protect them, but also to protect myself. We are following the CDC guidelines for cloth masks. We’re asking mothers out there, this Mother’s Day, to do what we do best — take care of our children and take care of yourselves by wearing that mask.”
Mayor Goodwin was one of the earliest participants in #moms4masks along with U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and former West Virginia First Lady Gayle Manchin.
All residents were encouraged to participate using the hashtag.
Health officials have said wearing face coverings was especially important in places like grocery stores and pharmacies where keeping the recommended six feet away from others was not possible.
“People with no symptoms of the virus can still have it and may be able to spread it to others, so we really want to encourage people to wear masks just in case,” said Dr. Sherri Young, health officer for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, in a statement.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended face coverings that fit snugly, but comfortably against the side of the face; were secured with ties or ear loops; included multiple layers of fabric and allowed for breathing without restriction.
Use of materials that could survive frequent washing were part of CDC instructions.
Mayor Goodwin said she talks to her mom every day.
“I’m still so blessed to have her in my life and to be able to speak to her and the one thing she always asks me is, ‘Are you safe? Are you wearing a mask? Are you washing your hands?’ And so I know that mothers out there are worried about their children,” she said.