Mask Makers of Westfield’s Ali Wohlers sits at her sewing station. Wohlers is one of several area community members volunteering her time to create surgical masks for health workers and emergency first responders. (MASK MAKERS OF WESTFIELD PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – With a goal of having as many residents as possible wearing masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic, free fabric masks will be distributed Saturday.
The Westfield Public Health Department and Emergency Management has partnered with the Mask Makers of Westfield and Better than a Bandanna Mask Maker to distribute masks.
The two volunteer groups obtained enough fabric masks to offer masks at four locations April 25.
Emergency Management Director Jim Wiggs said it was a cooperative effort. The groups have been offering masks to frontline workers and residents, but Wiggs said he wanted to find a way to get more masks on more faces.
“Emergency Management has been partnering with the mask makers and distributing at the EOC and it became a disruption one at a time,” said Wiggs. “I started speaking with Public Health about getting them out and I also asked for volunteers to do the distribution and together, due to some of the volunteers mentioning locations where we could drive through, we formed the idea.”
Masks will be distributed at the following locations and times:
Sons of Erin, 22 William St., 10 a.m. to noon
Blessed Sacrament Church, 127 Holyoke Road, 10 a.m. to noon
Second Congregational Church, 487 Western Ave., 1 to 3 p.m.
City Hall, 59 Court St., 10 a.m. to noon.
Wiggs said supplies are limited and no one should obtain more than what they need. The maximum for a family will be six masks. The masks are free, but if anyone would like to make a donation, the funds will go to the Westfield Public Schools.
“We expect to have well in excess of 600 masks to distribute Saturday,” Wiggs said, noting that sites will close as they run out of masks.
Wiggs said he hpes residents without access to masks would take advantage of the distribution. “We would like as many people as possible to wear a mask as it will help the spread of germs,” Wiggs said. “Every little bit helps.”
Some of the masks have a pocket for a filter, such as paper towels, but others do not.
“We do not have sizes and there is no separation of those that do and those that do not [have filter pockets],” said Wiggs.
Wiggs said the fabric masks do not filter like the masks worn by first responders and medical staff, but the purpose is to prevent the individual wearing the mask from spreading any germs “and is better if within the social distance range for a short period rather than no protection at all.”
Fabric masks are to help avoid the spread and not for protection other than to contain any spread as they do not meet the requirements of N/95/KN-95 masks on filtering droplets and particles. Masks can be washed and reused. Masks should not be placed on children under age two.
Wiggs said even with a mask, everyone should still adhere to gathering and distancing orders.
“People should continue to social distance, wash hands frequently, do not touch their face without washing their hands and limit going out to areas where it is difficult to social distance unless it is essential,” he said.
Residents should wash their masks before wearing them for optimum protection.
