Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is advising the city’s 4 million residents to prepare to wear face coverings while in public.
Garcetti donned a black face mask at a press conference on Wednesday, where he declared residents will have to “get used to” the “new look.”
“This will be the new look,” said Garcetti as he awkwardly tied on a mask. “I know this looks surreal. We’re going to have to get used to, you know, seeing each other like this.”
But California public health officials said face masks are not mandatory. Governor Gavin Newsom previously urged people not to wear face masks because the masks may inadvertently cause infections if people put the masks on wrong or touch their faces.
The death toll in the state stands at 215 with over 9,800 infected. Most have recovered from the virus.
The U.S. death toll reached 5,000 as the confirmed cases surpassed 216,000. Still, the death toll is a mere 0.00015% of the U.S. population and many of the confirmed cases have recovered.
The government’s overzealous response to the coronavirus outbreak has left millions without jobs and a broken economy.
A record 10 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the last 3 weeks.
The CDC offers the following tips to avoid spreading the flu or Covid-19 virus:
1. Do not touch your face with unwashed hands
2. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds
3. Avoid close contact with sick people
4. Sneeze and cough into a tissue or your elbow
5. Stay home if you are sick
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
6. When in doubt consult with a healthcare professional
