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Portland’s City Council will consider requiring workers who have close contact with the public to wear face coverings or face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Portland City Councilor Spencer Thibodeau is proposing an amendment to the city’s Emergency Stay at Home order to require any employee of an essential service – or a nonessential service involved with curbside pickup, shipping or delivery – to wear a mask or cloth face over his or her nose and mouth.
Thibodeau’s amendment, which would apply to grocery store, bank and convenience store workers, will be considered during Monday’s City Council meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
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“I hope my proposal will protect those workers, who may be in a life-or-death situation,” Thibodeau told the Press Herald. “I think Maine and this country will need to get used to the new normal, wearing face masks in public.”
If Thibodeau’s amendment is adopted, it would take effect next Thursday. Other than the town of Brunswick, Thibodeau said he does not know of any other community in Maine that requires workers to wear face masks. Portland’s amendment would exempt any worker whose medical condition would be compromised by having to wear some type of covering.
The order approved by the Brunswick Town Council requires employees of grocery stores, banks, convenience stores and of any indoor, public-serving location to wear masks. The order took effect at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Brunswick councilors debated, but did not take action, on a motion that would have required the general public to wear face masks or coverings inside public spaces.
Thibodeau’s amendment also would extend the face-covering requirement to nonessential business workers, a move he admits is more complicated and will depend on circumstances.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that cloth face coverings be worn in public settings such as a grocery store where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Watch: How to make your own face covering
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