DES MOINES, Iowa — As Polk County, and the rest of Iowa, starts to open back up, the Polk County Health Department has a simple message: "Wear a mask, protect the community."
Nola Aigner Davis of the Polk County Health Department cautions that even though restrictions are being lifted, that doesn't mean the virus is slowing down.
"We're not out of the woods. We are not out of the woods by a long shot," Aigner Davis said. "When you look at the case count in Iowa, and especially Polk County, our numbers are not decreasing. They're increasing."
That's why Aigner Davis and the Polk County Health Department want to make sure the public does their due diligence by wearing a mask.
"One of the most important things we can do to protect ourselves, if we have to go out in public, is wear a mask," Aigner Davis said. "Wearing a mask is protecting you, and also protecting me."
Ainger-Davis also stresses that good hygiene be taken into account when wearing a mask; because they don't do any good if they've been exposed to the virus.
"You don't know who coughed on it or whose droplets are on it," Aigner Davis said. "If it feels soiled, handle it with care. Take the mask off with gloved, put it in the washing machine with hot water right away."
The Polk County Health Department also continues to stress: if you don't have to go out in public, don't.
"I know that this is still so new that we're doing this, but this is a new way of life; for right now, anyway," Aigner Davis said. "You gotta protect yourself, and you gotta protect your family. You've gotta protect the community."
But if you do have to go out, as businesses open up, keep in mind that they do have the right to make wearing masks a requirement.
According to the Iowa Attorney General's Office, private businesses may require masks and restrict access to their property; similar to a restaurant having a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" policy.
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