NORTHAMPTON — Since issuing a public face mask order last week, the city’s health department has received more than 2,500 requests for masks, according to the mayor’s office.
The requests have come from residents, businesses, social service agencies, police and fire departments, among others.
Face coverings are required while shopping at essential businesses, and are mandatory for employees when it’s not possible to maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health Department announced last week. Coverings, which can be made from cloth, should cover the nose and mouth.
The city has teamed up with Cooley Dickinson Hospital to collect, clean and distribute donated masks to those who need them. Volunteers have also started to make cloth masks, and the city is collecting materials for mask-making efforts — tightly woven fabric, elastic bands, and polyester thread — outside the Northampton Fire Department headquarters at 26 Carlon Drive.
Residents who wish to donate face coverings should drop them off at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s north entrance, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The hospital has set up a donations website.
The city also is taking requests for masks from people who need them.
“Public agencies, businesses, and high-risk individuals that cannot afford face coverings can request them by submitting the following form or by visiting Northampton’s COVID-19 information page,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Staying home is the best way to prevent the spread of the virus, Merridith O’Leary, public health director, said in the city’s statement. “A face covering,” she said, “may reduce the risk of transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19 when maintaining at least 6 feet of distance isn’t possible.”
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.