DeKalb to Pass Out 10,000 Masks and Sanitizer to Fight Spread of COVID-19

DeKalb County will pass out 10,000 masks along with hand sanitizer to residents over the next six weeks, beginning Saturday, May 2, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“Along with physical distancing, masks and hand sanitizer are excellent methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, the district health director and CEO of the DeKalb County Board of Health. “DeKalb County Board of Health is delighted to support CEO Thurmond’s care package initiative.”

Additionally, Dr. Ford urged residents to dispose of masks properly, because “tossing them on the ground creates additional risk for infection.”

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has directed dozens of DeKalb County Police and Fire Rescue cadets and trainees to distribute COVID-19 care packets containing two disposable nonsurgical masks and a container of hand sanitizer, along with a card with tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The DeKalb County Government and the Board of Health are redoubling ongoing efforts to inform, educate and protect our residents after the expiration of Governor Kemp’s statewide shelter-in-place order,” CEO Thurmond said.

The county’s initial efforts will focus on economically disadvantaged communities that the DeKalb County Board of Health has identified as experiencing the highest number of COVID-19 infections. DeKalb County has the second highest number of confirmed cases with more than 2,000. There have been 48 confirmed deaths from the pandemic.

According to Board of Health data, despite the high number of cases, DeKalb County has the second lowest rate of death among those who have contracted the disease, in counties that have been most impacted by COVID-19.

On April 23, CEO Thurmond issued his third executive order related to the COVID-19 pandemic in which he urged residents to wear cloth face coverings at all times in public and continue to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Residents experiencing headache, fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, loss of sense of smell or taste, or sore throat, are urged to call 404-294-3700, Option 1, to be scheduled for a test for COVID-19.