Fayette County Public Schools says slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Fayette County cannot be done by just one individual, organization or group, and is asking the community to be part of the “Winners Together” campaign.
School system spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreibach said as school starts back on Aug. 17, students and staff will be adhering to safety protocols to help keep each other safe, these include wearing face coverings, appropriate distancing from each other, and frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing.
“While students and staff will be practicing safety measures, the health of our schools also lies in your hands, whether you are a parent, grandparent, business owner, or resident at-large, your actions and decisions will have an impact on schools being able to stay open, and our community remaining productive,” Berry-Dreisbach said.
Fayette County Public Schools needs everyone to be part of the “Winners Together” campaign, working with the school system to foster community strength and resilience to slow the spread of COVID-19, Berry-Dreisbach said.
The school system has created a digital toolkit that includes a 30-second animated public service announcement, featuring Fayette County’s face-covering mascot, along with a poster and site bug.
“We are asking all businesses, organizations and churches to promote the materials on their websites, social media sites, marquees, storefronts, newsletters, and through any other communication channel available to them,” said Berry-Dreisbach.
The toolkit can be downloaded from the school system’s website, www.fcboe.org. Click on the “Winners Together” graphic in the slide show, or click the “Press Room” tab in the center of the website and select the toolkit link from the menu.
For questions, contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, public information officer, at berrydreisbach.melinda@mail.fcboe.org.
Berry-Dreisbach explained that the mascot is a fun whimsical character, taking on a baseball theme, that appeals to all ages, and will hopefully bring a smile to faces and inspire the public to wear a face covering. The mascot’s body is a face covering with the ear bands serving as arms, attaching to a pair of sunglasses at the top to form a face.
The word “COVERING” is written across the body with the words “OUR BASES AND FACES” at the bottom, making up the lower half of the mascot’s body.
The word “BASES” represents the three W’s for COVID-19 safety: wear a face covering, watch your distance and wash your hands. The face covering resembles a baseball “Homeplate.” Below it are two diamond bases for distance and handwashing. The mascot as a whole also resembles a trophy, further carrying through the baseball theme and representing victory through teamwork.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website states that wearing a face covering is a simple step we all can take to help prevent the spread of the virus, along with social distancing and hand washing.
“This work can’t be done by the school system alone, we need the whole community to be a part of this effort, to protect each other, and to build resilience and strength across all ages, races and levels of socioeconomic and health status,” Berry-Dreisbach said.
Here are some simple ways that everyone can be “Winners Together:”
– Wear face coverings over your mouth and nose in indoor spaces or where physical distancing is difficult.
– Maintain physical distancing (6 feet from others) when possible.
– Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash.
– Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces frequently.
– Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care or testing.
– Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or may have been exposed to COVID-19.
At the beginning of this pandemic, I told all my friends and relatives that I would never, ever, wear a mask. I felt very strongly about it, and I wasn’t sure why. I thought maybe I have a medical condition called “fearlessness”, in which I am unable to experience fear like most people. I’m not a political person, but, by the same token, I am not close to anyone who is elderly and/or immunity compromised. It just doesn’t sit right with me to wear a mask. I’m sorry.
Yet sometimes I do wear mask. When my occupation demands it. Of course, I can’t lose work money by taking a principled stance against mask wearing. Still, I no longer shop at the major grocery stores, or any other stores for that matter, since most now require everyone who enters to wear a mask. Yes, I find myself discriminated against because I won’t wear a mask, and, in fact, I’m still amazed when I am in public and I look around and see everyone else with a mask on. Maybe I’m just set in my ways. I just turned 62, after all.
It seems to me the better approach is to protect the vulnerable, rather than expect everyone to wear a mask. Thankfully, our governor respects individual choice enough to consider mandating mask wearing a “bridge too far.” But hey, what do I know? I don’t wear a seatbelt either!
The point of wearing a mask isn’t to protect yourself from contracting Covid. The point of wearing a mask is to prevent yourself from spreading it to others you may come in close contact to. You state a better approach is to “protect the vulnerable.” Well, based on the evidence provided to us in peer reviewed medical journals and from experts, the best way to prevent the spread and transmission and to “protect the vulnerable” is to wear a mask.
Be a patriot. Wear a mask.