The
Board has been asked to clarify guidelines for being in the Garden during this
pandemic. We remind all of you that some members of our gardening
community are more vulnerable to the virus. We are lucky to have such a
beautiful space to spend outdoor time, and it's
important that all gardeners feel safe in the Garden.
Please wear a mask when you are in the Garden. If you're the only one
present, wear it at your own discretion. But when others are around, wear
it for their peace of mind if not for your own.
We are establishing Tuesday mornings as a time to harvest, and we will require anyone who helps
with the harvest to wear a mask and gloves. Since the harvest site is so
large, we can welcome up to 6 people each Tuesday to pick and wash produce
to be donated to the food bank.
Mayor
Gregerson shared the following reminder about face coverings, repeated here to
help you understand why this is an issue we take seriously:
From
the State Department of Health, some reminders about face coverings (as our
neighbors in King County, San Juan County and Whatcom County are now required to wear them):
DO
cover your face with a couple layers of cloth while in public places.
DO wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before you put your mask on and after
you take it off.
DO wash your cloth face covering in a washing machine after a day’s use.
DO take a cloth face covering with you if you are hiking or visiting a park.
Although you do not need to wear one outside, you may find that you need to
come within 6 feet of someone else on a trail. At that point, put your cloth
face covering on, say hello, and carry on.
DO make sure the cloth face covering covers both your mouth and nose.
DON’T wear surgical-grade masks or N95 respirators. We need to reserve those
for health care and other frontline workers.
DON’T think that wearing cloth face masks means we can gather in large groups
of people. For most of the state, all gatherings are prohibited. For the
counties that are in Phase 2, all gatherings of more than 5 people outside your
household are prohibited.
DON’T think that wearing a cloth face mask makes it safe to come within six
feet of other people. At best, a cloth face covering is just one added level of
precaution. It doesn’t really help unless we are also washing our hands,
staying home when we are sick, and practicing physical distancing.
DON’T wear a cloth face covering while exercising outdoors. It’s not dangerous,
just annoying and not necessary.
DON’T put a cloth face covering on a child under age 2 or on a person with a
disability that keeps them from being able to remove it.
DON’T touch your cloth face covering after you put it on. Try not to touch your
face at all.
DON’T worry that a cloth face covering might restrict your oxygen. It’s not
airtight. If you ever feel like you’re having trouble breathing, remove the
cloth face covering and sit down. If the feeling persists, call 911.
Practice
compassion. Remember, wearing a cloth face covering is an act
of compassion. We cover our faces to protect others. There
is no public health reason to wear a cloth face covering if you are alone in
your car, in your own home, or around members of your own household. (Unless
you just want to because it’s comfortable and looks awesome. That’s cool.)