ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. — Fewer people in St. Francois County wore a face mask during a mandate than they did when there wasn't a mandate, according to a face mask evaluation by the county.
A mask mandate went into effect in St. Francois County on Sept. 21 and ended on Oct. 22.
The evaluation by St. Francois County Health Center said the data collected shows that 6% fewer people wore face masks in public spaces since the mandate was enacted.
The evaluation includes observations that were done in the community at various locations and the comparisons were done before the mask mandate and after the mask mandate at the same locations.
It also said this could also be due to "generalized COVID fatigue" experience by some during the pandemic. Results of the evaluation indicated that a significant portion of the population is not wearing face masks in public spaces.
"It may be early in the evaluation process to assert correlation with epidemiological data. In order for masking policies to be effective, they must be readily adopted by a strong majority of the public and other stakeholders," part of the conclusion of the evaluation said.
A social media survey from St. Francois County Health Center found that most who responded have access to face masks, but it may be a challenge for some.
"More education is needed on how masks work, the importance of masking, care of masks, and other mitigation measures," the conclusion of the evaluation said.
St. Francois County continues to experience widespread community transmission of COVID-19, according to its COVID-19 website.
The St. Francois County Health Center is advising the public to do the following:
- If you are sick, stay home and contact your medical provider.
- Avoid socializing in groups larger than 10 or groups that do not allow for proper social distancing.
- Wear face coverings when in public settings.
- When in public, individuals should maximize physical distance from others.
- Vulnerable persons should limit movement in the community to essential services only.
- Continue to practice good hygiene.