East Hampton Town’s government is calling on residents to wear coverings when venturing out in public, following federal recommendations, but also asked for donations of masks and gloves for grocery store workers.
A statement issued from Town Hall on Saturday morning referred to the federal Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation that people wear a cloth face covering to slow the spread of the Covid-19.
But in order to preserve surgical masks and N-95 respirators for critical health care personnel, homemade cloth masks have been recommended for the general public. the town has asked residents to donate any masks and gloves they can spare for distribution to stores for workers. Masks and gloves can be taken to a collection box outside Town Hall, at 159 Pantigo Road in East Hampton, or to the Police Department headquarters, at 131 Wainscott Northwest Road in Wainscott.
The Surgeon General has posted a video on how to make a mask at youtube.
In a letter to food retailers on Thursday, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc urged that they follow protocols with respect to cleaning and sanitation, social distancing in stores, and excessive purchases of in-demand items. Suggestions included staggered entry to stores, designating store aisles as one-way, assigning employees to direct foot traffic inside the store, and marking appropriate distance locations for those standing on checkout lines.