As Florida continues to see a rising number of coronavirus infections health officials around the state are encouraging everyone to wear a face covering or mask when they are out in public.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, including at grocery stores and pharmacies.
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In Orange County, residents will be required to wear a face covering under an executive order beginning June 20. There are exceptions to this mandate, including children under 2 years old and it will not be enforced through fines.
While everyone wants to stay safe and protect their families, the coronavirus has also created financial hardships for millions of Floridians. With that in mind spending an extra few dollars on a mask or supplies may not be available to some. Thankfully, the Orange County mandate does not require a medical-grade mask and a face covering can be made out of items you already have.
According to Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Rajiv Bahl, homemade cloth masks provide an important barrier and help slow the spread of the COVID-19.
The CDC created several detailed guides to make your own face covering at home by using a bandanna or cloth you may already have at home. Click here for the instructions.
Below is a tutorial showing how to make a covering out of rubber bands and a piece of cloth or an old t-shirt:
If you want to get a little fancier with your face covering, Jo-Ann craft store put out a tutorial for people who want to make masks at home.
Jo-Ann’s shared a video tutorial about how to make a face mask:
There are also several organizations and companies giving away free face masks.
Athletic apparel company DHVANI has offered to give every American a free mask. Visit their website at dhvani.com to claim one.
Anyone who goes to an Orange County coronavirus testing site is also given a free box of face masks and hand sanitizer. Register for a test at ocfl.net/coronavirus.
The county is continuing to distribute masks and hand sanitizer to small businesses. Small business owners can click here to sign up for free supplies.