City to give out free face masks Aug. 22
Calendar Date:
Aug. 20, 2020
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the City of Leavenworth will be giving away 12,500 disposable face masks this weekend, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. or until they run out, Saturday Aug. 22 at Haymarket Square, Seventh and Cherokee streets. There will be a limit of packages per car.
Bill McKeel, Battalion Chief for the Leavenworth Fire Department, said that there would be 5,000 youth masks and 7,500 adult masks. Each will be in packages of five with an instruction sheet on how to properly use the masks. The Leavenworth Fire Department coordinated the mask giveaway with the hopes that it will prevent the spread of disease and encourage more face mask use.
The mask giveaway is drive-through only. Drivers are asked to remain in their vehicles to minimize exposure. Vehicles will enter on the Seventh Street side and exit on Cherokee Street.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, face masks have been shown to help prevent the spread of disease. According to the CDC: “Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings. The spread of COVID-19 can be reduced when masks are used along with other preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.”
