{"id":3581,"date":"2020-07-28T09:55:13","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T09:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=3581"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:52:18","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:52:18","slug":"durham-launches-new-mask-campaign-supporting-local-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2020\/07\/28\/durham-launches-new-mask-campaign-supporting-local-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Durham launches new mask campaign supporting local businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, masks of many colors, patterns and materials have become ubiquitous \u2014 or at least, they\u2019re supposed to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In April, Mayor Steve Schewel mandated masks in public, making <\/span>Durham<\/span><\/a> the first city in North Carolina to do so. In early <\/span>July<\/span><\/a>, the city required all businesses to post signage telling their customers to wear masks in an effort to slow the rise of COVID-19 cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, the city and county have jointly launched a campaign in an effort to promote local businesses and unify the city around wearing masks to protect each other, called <\/span>Durham Has You Covered<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDurham Has You Covered is one part of a larger strategy for helping residents comply with local face covering orders,\u201d said Ryan Smith, Innovation Team Project manager for the city and a member of the Recovery and Renewal Task Force. \u201cWe want to make it easier for residents and small businesses to find face coverings and at the same time we also want to support our local producers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Smith added that there is a certain level of accountability and heightened quality of products when people are able to buy local.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The city and county are working with Cover Durham, a community health coalition, on the campaign<\/span>. The initiative provides\u00a0<\/span>the latest federal and state recommendations on personal protective equipment and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Durham Has You Covered also provides contact information for 20 local mask suppliers, in order to help support businesses that may be struggling during the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Megan Eilenberger is one of those business owners. She enjoys sewing in her free time, and, like many others, began making masks for friends and family in March once the pandemic started getting worse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe experienced job loss in our family due to COVID,\u201d she said. \u201cIn order to somewhat replace some of that income, I started to charge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n