Dear Mayor and Menlo Park City Council Members, Just this week two counties: Sonoma and Marin as well as the City of Fremont have issued mandatory orders that face coverings be worn in public to protect everyone from the spread of Corona Virus. There are now these precedents in CA that the City of Menlo Park could adopt to keep all of our MP residents safe when in public. Of course, we all know that social distancing rules would still apply. We now have close to 800 cases of Covid-19 in our county. It is time to escalate to make it mandatory to wear facial coverings in public. Here are some compelling reasons that Citys and counties in the Bay area should take this step: 1) The scientific data shows that newly infected COVID-19 people shed the corona virus at least 2 days or more PRIOR to showing any symptoms. 2) Issuing guidelines alone in not working. Just look around Menlo Park and anyone can see there is POOR compliance with just the 'guidelines to wear face coverings'. Many people out in public are not wearing face coverings. 3) It is particularly dangerous in closed spaces such as grocery stores. I am a senior citizen (74 yrs). I do not feel SAFE shopping at our local grocery stores. The last time I went to Draegers about a week ago LESS than half the people in the store had on facial coverings. The ones that did not were predominantly young men and women, which is the group with a higher probability of asymptomatic infection. And in a grocery store it is difficult to maintain the 6 ft distancing. As our elected City officials I am strongly urging you to take the next step to either pass an ordinance requiring facial coverings in public the City of Menlo Park OR pass a resolution calling on the County of San Mateo to make it mandatory to wear facial coverings in the County. Please act now since we need to take ALL MEASURES to decrease the spread and to protect all residents, especially those most vulnerable, in our city. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Margaret Spak, MPA Hospital Administration -- 381 Santa Margarita Menlo Park, CA 94025 650 325-1442 (land line) 650 208-2578 (cell) Received on Fri Apr 17 2020 - 14:50:32 PDT
